You Can Do It
by lostandfound89
Summary: A collection of one-shots revolving my favourite Marvel couple Hope and Scott.
1. You Can Do It (i)

"You can do it Hope!"

Her mother gave her an encouraging smile. 5-year-old Hope Pym stood bended towards the dining table, with full concentration, her gaze locked on to the ants crawling on the table. Her father had finally gave her the green light to use the ear piece, and she was determined to not let him down. She was trying to command the four ants to lift up a coin, but to no avail. Multiple attempts only saw an ant trying to carry the coin, while the others just strayed around.

She frowned. Dark green eyes burned with frustration.

"You need to clear your head, jellybean. Focus and think of what you want the ants to do.", her mom said, rubbing her small back, smiling. She knew that her daughter was not one to give up easily. Hope had a fierce determination coarsing through her, even at a tender age.

"Mommy, I can't.", she pouted, arms crossed.

"Yes you can.", said her father, who emerged from the living room. "Try again.", he smiled, putting his hand around her shoulder. His daughter always showed preserverance plus she was intelligent and curious. He was glad that they could now bond over 'ants'.

Hope clenched her teeth, and focused intently. She had always begged her father to let her talk to the ants ever since she saw him doing it and she wasn't going to give up, not now. This was it.

And sure enough, one by one, the ants lifted the coin off the table, and dropped it into a coin jar.

"I did it mommy! Did you see that daddy?", Hope grinned widely, eyes twinkling with joy.

"Yes you did it jellybean!", Janet beamed at her proudly. Hank smiled, as he tried to ignore the tiny fear that was creeping deep down, a fear that he would come to understand in the future.


	2. You Can Do It (ii)

A little girl laid curled up on her bed, tears silently streaming down her face, while she listened to the pitter patter of the light rain outside her window. The dark, cloudy sky was as gloomy as her current emotional state.

Today was her mother's funeral.

She missed her and she ached for her, badly.

Hope could hear the faint voices of people downstairs, talking and whispering. Relatives, friends, and co-workers who had attended the funeral. She was tired of them telling her they were sorry for her loss and so she escaped to her room, for solitude. They could never understand the pain she was going through, and whatever they said to her did nothing to make her feel better.

Even at 7-years-old, Hope was wise for her age. Ever since her father solemnly told her that her mother was gone, she just couldn't comprehend, and her father gave no answers to her pressing questions about her mother.

Hope knew that there was no body in the casket. Did she disappear? Did she leave? Why would she leave her? She was supposed to come back. She promised. A million questions rose from her mind. Every day, she imagined that her mother would magically appear at their doorstep, telling her it was all alright, that she's back home. But, it never happened.

She was drowned in her thoughts when she heard a knock at her bedroom door.

"Hope..."

A woman's voice.

"It's aunt Peggy. I'm coming in.", said Peggy Carter as she turned the door knob. Peggy noticed Hope's absence from the crowd of people downstairs and came to check on her. Hope didn't budge from her bed. She had stopped crying but her cheeks were smudged with dried tears. She adored her aunt Peggy but she just couldn't muster up her energy to look at her.

"Oh sweetheart...", Peggy sighed. She sat on Hope's bed and pulled her into her arms, caressing her hair. She treated Hope like her daughter. Peggy Carter and Janet Van Dyne were close, as close as sisters, and her untimely death devastated her. She knew the truth of her death of course, and felt as guilty as Hank did.

"I miss her, aunt Peggy...", tears welling up in her eyes again. The warmth of Peggy's hug comforted her, but she longed for her mother's touch.

"I know. I miss her too Hope.", Peggy swallowed a lump in her throat and fought back tears.

"Is she really dead?", Hope looked up at Peggy, expression full of grief, as tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"I'm afraid so...", Peggy bit her lip. It broke her heart when she said that, but even more so because she couldn't tell Hope the exact truth as Hank forbade her to do so. Hope buried her head into her aunt Peggy's arms and sobbed.

"I know it's hard losing someone you love, sweetheart. Believe me, I really do. The pain will always be there, but as time passes, it will heal, but you will never forget them. I know Janet will want you to be happy...", Peggy lightly kissed her head. Hope understood that aunt Peggy was talking about uncle Steve Rogers. She always told her stories about him.

Deep down, Hope knew she could never be happy again, not without her mother.

"You can do it Hope...", Peggy hugged her closer.


	3. You Can Do It (iii)

She had received a call from Pym Technologies a day after her interview and here she was, seated in a conference room, the company owned by her father, Hank Pym.

Though she looked calm and collected, deep down, she was nervous. She didn't notify her father about this and she was wondering how it would play out if she met him. She smoothed her suit and took a deep breath.

As the years passed by, Hope van Dyne had grown into a beautiful young woman, much like her mother, as her aunt Peggy used to say. Her dark green eyes were sharp and bright. Light brown freckles scattered on her nose extending to her cheeks. Her hair was short, framing her well-defined jawline. She wore a sleek business suit that hugged her fit frame. Her exterior screamed no-nonsense, a reputation she had gained for herself over the years.

The door opened.

Unexpectedly, Hank Pym walked in, and an unfamiliar man followed closely behind him.

"Hi Hope.", Hank smiled stiffly. He tried to reach out for a hug, but stopped in his tracks as he heard her calling his name, and patted her shoulder instead.

"Hank.", her eyes were cold, expression unreadable, as she kept her hands to the side. She last saw her father a few months ago, at her graduation. He had offered her a position but she flatly declined. She didn't want to rely on her father, nor did she need to.

She was over-qualified for the position, but she had no qualms about working from the bottom and getting all the way to the top. Years of boarding school and studying abroad at Harvard had only reinforced her self-discipline and motivation.

Hank winced, it pained him that she was calling him by his first name. He was surprised that she had sent in her resume, but was even more astounded as she had changed her surname to van Dyne. It hurt him that she didn't want to associate with him.

"I didn't expect you would want to work here Hope."

They had been estranged since her mother died. He sent her to boarding school, kept his distance and buried himself in work, and left her growing up with an almost absent father, who she was constantly trying to impress to garner his attention but it never worked. Eventually, she gave up and instead did certain things to spite him.

"Well, I changed my mind.", she smiled politely.

"I'm glad you did."

After all, the company would be hers, after his retirement.

What had changed her mind? He questioned.

She had visited her aunt Peggy a week before and she had convinced her that she should join her father's company. Maybe, just maybe they had a chance of reconciling. And he would finally tell her the truth behind her mother's death.

"Are you sure you want to take this position? I do have a better one for you..."

"I'm fine. Besides, I'm sure I would earn a promotion soon.", her eyes shone with confidence, a curl rising from her lips.

Hank smiled. His daughter was always so self-assured and poised.

"I'm sure you can do it Hope.", he thought to himself.


	4. You Can Do It (iv)

"You look amazing!", Scott flashed his signature smile and stared at Hope in awe, who had donned her Wasp suit for the first time. He had been anticipating this moment with bated breath and now she was standing right in front of him, looking splendidly bad-ass.

Damn, he loves her.

Scott and Hope had been seeing each other for a few months now, not just as partners, but lovers, ever since Hank caught them sharing a kiss outside his bedroom door. They had been working together, training together and other stuff -ing together and he loved every moment of it. He secretly hoped she felt the same way too.

"Thanks Scott.", Hope smiled shyly, dark green eyes shining with excitement. She had been waiting for this for her whole life and she felt incredible. Was this what her mother would have felt like when she wore the suit?

Hope and her father had completed the suit a week ago. And finally after some finishing touches, she and her partner were going for a flight test.

Scott moved closer to her, held her hands in his, and gave her a light peck on the lips. They locked eyes for a moment and smiled lovingly at each other.

"Guys...", coughed Hank. "I'm still here.", he rolled his eyes, with a look of distaste. He reluctantly had come to accept that Scott was going to be a part of his family. Hank was glad because Hope was happy around him, though he would never admit it to Scott.

"How could we forget, Hank.", Scott grinned. They broke contact, but her hand didn't leave his.

"You look out for her Scott. I swear I will kill you if she gets hurt.", Hank gave him a warning look, eyebrows knitted into a frown.

"Whoa whoa, calm down, nobody's going to get hurt! I'm...", he gestured frantically, but he was cut off by Hope. He didn't need reminding, of course he would protect her at all cost.

"Dad, I'm a grown woman and a skilled fighter, much skilled than him, I can protect myself.", Hope interjected, one brow raised as she shot a smirk at Scott.

"Well, I wouldn't argue about that.", Scott's eyes wandered about. Every single time they sparred, he would end up on the floor, or, well, between her legs, not that he was complaining.

"Remember, you work together as partners. You have to complement each other, have each other's back.", Hank carried on.

"We sure do.", Scott winked at Hope, as he smiled goofily and gently nudged her elbow, to which Hope smiled in respond. She loved that smile of his.

"You ready?", he smirked, and sealed his helmet.

"Am as ready as you are!", she closed her helmet and shrunk.

Soon enough, they were flying and zipping through the grass, laced with dew-drops that glinted under the sky, as the sun shone brightly. Scott could hear Hope's laughter through his ear piece, and he could imagine her face. He could picture how her face lighted up into laughter and how her eyes turned crescent-shaped as they sparkled with joy. He had her different facial expressions fully memorized.

"How is it?", he asked.

"Everything's so big.", she giggled. Her dream had finally came true and she was as giddy as a child. It was a wonder when her surroundings were a million times larger, it was like looking through a huge magnifying glass. She could hear the faint mechanical whirring of her wings as she flew. Her suit was light and it didn't hold her weight down. It was a perfect fit. Adrenaline pumped through her blood making her feel exhilarated. She would need to try out those blasters soon.

"That's how I felt the first time.", Scott recalled, remembering that time when he was flushed down the bath tub, much to his horror.

"I remembered you saying you were terrified when you fell into the drainage -", she laughed halfway, her sentence unfinished, as a gust of wind threw her off balance and she tumbled to the ground.

"Ow!", she landed on her back.

"Hope! Are you alright?!", Scott's concerned voice sounded through her ear piece, as he came buzzing to her side, riding Ant-toine. He came to a halt and swiftly hopped off the ant.

"I'm fine.", she stood up and grew back to size. Flying was something she needed to get used to.

"You sure?", he pressed the button, popped off his helmet, walked towards her, and put one hand around her waist while he hurriedly inspected for injuries.

"Yes I'm sure.", she removed her helmet, and her eyes met his soft gaze with furrowed brows. His features relaxed as he saw her face. They were in such close proximity that she could feel his breath on her.

"Seems like someone needs practice.", his eyes glinted mischievously as he reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She looked radiantly beautiful, even after their exercise.

"Not as much as you needed.", she squinted and gave him a judgy look, reminding him.

"Touché."

He loved their banter.

He let go of her, resisting the urge to kiss her.

"Wanna take five?", he asked.

She nodded. And so they sat under the tree, taking in the light breeze of the wind and the bright blue sky, scattered with fluffy clouds.

"Thanks for being here Scott.", she turned to him and smiled, her dimples apparent.

After defeating Yellow Jacket, she assumed that he wouldn't be sticking around, as his daughter was put at risk and he had nearly lost his life disappearing into the Quantum Realm. She was slightly taken aback when he first kissed her but she stopped being rational and went with her heart instead. Their relationship was progressing rather well. He was an idiot, but he was kind, funny, loving and a good father. It frustrated her that he had a way in making her laugh, a lot, and she could share her deepest, dark secrets with him. Scott wasn't even breaking her protective wall bit by bit, he was just tunneling straight through it. Yes, he had an effect on her, and she couldn't deny it.

"It's my pleasure. And besides that's what partners are for.", he grinned bashfully. He was happy that his life was turning around for the better, even though he was reluctantly roped into becoming Ant-Man in the first place. But, ultimately, he was glad to be a better father/role model for Cassie. And the plus point? He got to be with Hope.

"Do you think I'm cut for this?", she only ever showed her insecurities to Scott.

"You were born to be a superhero Hope.", he replied with such conviction. Her abilities were proof enough that she was meant for this.

"Your parents were superheroes. Heck, let's face it, you're going to be more of a superhero than me. Don't ever doubt yourself. I know you can do it Hope", he said earnestly, eyes twinkling. Her confidence was one of the things that he loved about her. He reached out and held her hand, thumb gently rubbing her knuckles. She liked it when he did that, it soothed her.

"Thanks. I'm glad we're in this together.", she lightly squeezed his hand.

He leaned forward and kissed her.

"Wanna get back?"

"Sure, I'll race you!", she laughed and shrunk, and took off.

"Hey not fair!", he followed suit and hopped onto Ant-toine, chasing behind her.


	5. Surprise

"What in the world -", Hope came to a halt as she almost stepped onto a bouquet of flowers outside the bedroom door, carried by an army of ants.

She could hear hurried, familiar footsteps approaching. "Hey, you guys, your job's done, you can go now.", he whispered, hunched fowards while flailing his hands dramatically as if to chase the ants away, unaware of her presence. She bit her lip, suppressing a laugh. The silly man. The ants scattered away and he looked up.

"Scott?", she arched an eyebrow, and eyed at him suspiciously with crossed arms.

"Hi Hope! Surprise!", he smiled gleefully, and waved his hands as if he had just performed a magic trick. He scooped up the bouquet of flowers. "Though you weren't suppose to see that, these are for you -", he held the flowers in front of her but stopped in his tracks, when his eyes caught what she was wearing.

Hope was wearing one of his old white-coloured office shirt, it fit her loosely, revealing her long, slender legs.

He gulped. Until now, she still gave him palpitations.

She had been staying over at Scott's house for a couple of nights after the flurry of events that had happened, after the search for her mother and among other things. It all started when he had invited her over for a movie with Cassie which ended with him convincing her to stay the night. And now, it seemed they had comfortably fallen back into a routine. She would come over to his house to train (he claimed he was rusty, but she definitely saw through the lie), and then it was dinner leading to a movie/late night conversations and certain 'extra-curricular activities'. After two years of being in no contact at all, they had endless topics and conversations to catch up with.

Deep down, it scared Hope that she and Scott were moving forward so naturally. Were they an item now? A couple? Before the events of Civil War, they certainly were, but what about now? They had never talked about it, until last night.

 _ _She sat crossed leg on the couch, flicking through television channels, but nothing seem to interest her. They were just done with dinner, and it was Scott's turn to do the dishes.__

 _ _"Hey.", he sauntered towards her, grinning. "Nothing on TV?", he asked, and with a swift movement, much to her surprise, he laid down on the couch with his head resting on her lap.__

 _ _"You really do know how to make yourself comfortable.", her lips curled up forming a thin smile.__

 _ _"That's because you're comfy.", he flashed his goofy smile, his dreamy green eyes staring into hers. He missed her. More importantly, he missed them.__

 _ _She smiled, a hand reaching out behind his ear, stroking his hair. He closed his eyes. The small gesture was something he enjoyed because it showed that she was comfortable with him.__

 _ _"So, what was it like fighting alongside Cap?", she smirked, but was genuinely curious.__

 _ _He froze and opened his eyes, avoiding her gaze. They hadn't touched on the issue after the end of his house arrest. However, it had always bothered him that he hadn't formally apologize to her about secretly running off to Germany with the suit.__

 _ _She noticed his blank look, and that meant he was either going to make a joke out of it or he was going to babble.__

 _ _"Scott, I -"__

 _ _"Hope, I'm sorry.", he cut her off and sat up abruptly, facing her. "I should have told you about it. It was stupid of me running off with the suit without you or Hank's permission. I never intend for you and Hank to get caught up in the conflict. It got into my head, thinking it could be my once in a lifetime opportunity to fight along with Cap -," he paused. "- Captain America. But with the Sokovia Accords, it would mean that we will be controlled by the government, and who knows what will happen to the tech if it fell into the wrong hands, what with the political conflict happening, not to mention, the accords were tampered with...", he rambled, his expression serious. He could never forget being locked up in The Raft, afraid he was never going to see Cassie and Hope again.__

 _ _"Not if it was kept a secret.", she knew her father would never give up his technology, not after his stint with SHIELD. And then Scott had to become Giant Man during the airport fight, exposing it.__

 _ _"I truly am -", his face was as red as a tomato.__

 _ _She reached out and touched his face, thumb gently caressing his cheek, calming him.__

 _ _"I forgive you.", she interrupted him, her gaze soft. She had forgiven him after he had broken she and her father out of jail, and had forgiven him the second time after he nearly drowned in the ocean. He was risking his freedom and yet he had still come for them. She realized that she could not lose him.__

 _ _"Thanks Hope.", he smiled sheepishly, grateful, as he held her hand in his. "Since I'm forgiven, does this mean we're a thing now? Like you're my girlfriend again...", his face broke into a lopsided grin. "And we've been hanging out a lot, and I would really want you to be my girlfriend again, officially...", he blabbered on.__

 _ _"Oh shut up Scott.", she pulled him close and kissed him. He responded passionately, hands grabbing her arms, eagerly returning her kiss. She proceeded to climb on his lap, arms clinged around his neck and straddled him with her legs.__

 _ _They broke off, both out of breath, smiling.__

 _ _"I'll take that as a yes?"__

 _ _"You're an idiot Scott.", she giggled.__

 _ _"Your idiot."__

 _ _He carried her up, with her legs around him, and sprinted towards the staircase. And that was how she ended up staying the night.__

"Scott?"

"Earth to Scott!?"

He came back to his senses and stared at her.

"That's my shirt..."

She didn't had anything to change into, so that was how she ended up with wearing his shirt, not that she minded.

"Are you just going to stand there the whole day staring?", she teased him. "Thanks for the flowers by the way. What's the occasion?", she motioned to the long forgotten flowers in his hand.

"Can't I surprise my girlfriend once in a while?", he smiled cheekily, as he headed towards her and grabbed her waist. Her face blossomed into a wide smile. He pressed a kiss on her neck, while they moved backwards in sync and closed the bedroom door.


	6. Chapter 6

_Prompt: What if Hope is pregnant when Germany happens and tells Scott before he runs off to Germany_

"Dad, where's Scott?", the door to the lab burst opened, as Hope hurriedly walked in, her tone unpleasant.

"Uh oh", Hank muttered upon hearing his daughter's voice. Before the interruption, he was closely watching the computer's monitor with a microphone over his ear. Swiftly, he closed the screens with a click and turned around, nonchalantly blocking the view.

"I don't know Hope. He's not at home?", he shrugged casually.

"No, he's not. And he left this!", she furiously shook a piece of paper that she held on her hand.

"What's that?", he took the paper from her and scribbled on it were Scott's handwriting.

 _'Hope, I'm sorry. I have to leave for a few days. I promise I'll be back soon. Love, Scott.'_

Oh shit, that idiot.

Scott had contacted Hank a few hours before, after arriving at Germany. He confessed to him that he had 'borrowed' the Ant-Man suit to fight alongside with Captain America, much to Hank's dismay and disapproval. He broke the news that Hank was going to be a grandfather soon and he needed his help to get a ride home. Hank didn't agree with the Sokovia Accords, partly because of his resentment towards Stark. Still, he didn't want to be a part of it but Scott had to ruin it all. There was no turning back so Hank had grudgingly agreed to the plan.

"You tell me dad! Where the hell is he? And what were you looking at before I came in?", she questioned, her brows forming a frown. She moved towards him, and tried to get a peek at the monitors. He knew there was no way to stop his daughter from getting the information she wanted.

"Hope...", he sighed. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Scott, he's at Germany..."

Her heart sank.

Scott was in a van with Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff, as they made their way to meet up with Steve Rogers. He laid down at the back seat of the van, a scramble of thoughts flashing through his mind.

 _"Scott, I need to tell you something important.", Hope was leaning against the kitchen counter, holding a coffee mug, her expression solemn, as she watched him pour Fruit Loops into a cereal bowl._

 _He stopped halfway and looked at her. "Okay...?", he raised a brow as he observed her. "Is something wrong?", he asked carefully and slowly placed the cereal box on the table. He recognized the look on her face, and it usually meant business or she was punching an enemy in the face. Furthermore, he couldn't shake off the odd vibe he was receiving from her lately._

 _Oh shit, she knows, he thought to himself. The day before, Sam Wilson had reached out to him last minute, saying that Steve Rogers was recruiting a team of superheroes against psycho-assassins and he was selected as one of the recruits. He was elated and without much serious thought, he agreed._

 _"Hope, I -", he was about to come clean when she held up her hand to stop him. He gulped._

 _She placed her mug down and cleared her throat. "I'm...", she paused, and rubbed her temples._

 _He stared attentively at her but she was avoiding his gaze._

 _A moment of silence hung in the air._

 _Scott got off his chair and walked towards her, concerned. He had never seen her this anxious before. "What is it? Are you sick?", he stooped down a little to look at her, and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing them, attempting to calm her down._

 _"No I'm not sick. I'm fine. It's just that...", she took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I'm pregnant.", she blurted. She had been trying to tell him the news for the past one week, but she just couldn't bring herself to it. Her mind ran through a hundred different scenarios. How would he react? Sure, he had a daughter, but she didn't know if he would want another child, and this was unplanned. Hell, they had never even talked about marriage and what more about having a baby. She didn't think she was going to be a mother, not just yet. Can she even be a mother to a tiny human being? She didn't hate kids, but she wasn't particularly comfortable around them. Though Cassie's an exception, she loves Cassie. She was bright, smart, and brave._

 _His heart stopped a beat and his hands gripped her shoulders firmly. For the first time, he was at loss for words._

 _Hope held her gaze at him, her body tensed. Immediately, she felt a tinge of regret upon seeing his dumbstruck look. She didn't know what to expect from him._

 _His ears were ringing as he tried to digest the information. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "You're... you're, you're pregnant?", he stuttered, stunned._

 _"That's what I just said."_

 _He cleared his mind. "Oh my God, I'm going to be a dad again?!", his voice ecstatic, as his dumbfounded look quickly transitioned into a wide grin. He swooped her into his arms and hugged her tight. She was having their child and he couldn't be happier._

 _She relaxed at once as she felt his warm embrace and broke into a smile as her chin rested on his broad shoulder. A wave of relief rushed through her._

 _He pulled away. "Oh God, I love you Hope, I love you so much. I really do.", he murmured, as he lovingly peppered kisses on her forehead, eyes, cheeks and lastly her lips._

 _They kissed deeply, before resting their foreheads against each other._

 _"But how?"_

 _"What how?", she glared at him and smacked his arm._

 _"Ow!", he fake whined. "No, I mean we were being careful. Oh, it doesn't matter. Because I'm happy.", he chuckled._

 _"You're happy?", she reached out her hand, her thumb trailing down his stubbled cheek._

 _"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? But are you happy?", he asked softly. He was more worried about her and he wanted to know how she felt. He knew how she felt about children._

 _"I'm...", she paused and wondered if she should speak the truth. Her concerns were plentiful. "I'm afraid.", she whispered. There were so many things running through her mind but he deserves to know the truth. "I don't know if I can be a good mother Scott. I lost my mom when I was seven and my dad was pretty much absent from my life until now. I don't know if I can care for a child...and I still want to be in the suit.", she didn't hold back._

 _"Hey, I've seen you with Cassie. She loves you.", he smiled, trying to brush her worries away. "Who says you can't be a superhero when you're a mom. And besides, you have me, you're not alone, we're in this together partner.", he pulled her into his chest and planted a kiss on her head. "I know you'll be a great mom." A surge of happiness coursed through her as she felt his lingering soft kiss._

 _A fear crept through him as he held her close. He needed a plan, a way to get back to her after the fight._

"Captain America.", Scott grinned widely as he shook hands with Steve Rogers. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Mr. Lang.", Steve nodded. "They tell you what we're up against?"

"Something about some psycho-assassins?"

"We're outside the law on this one. So if you come with us, you're a wanted man."

"Yeah, well, about that. I can't get caught.", he awkwardly scratched his head.

Steve slightly tilted his head and cocked a brow.

"Don't get me wrong, I would love to help but if things get messy, I need to get out from here pronto. Hope, my girlfriend, she's pregnant, and I can't leave her behind, not this time. Also, I need to be kept a secret.", he was determined not to be a fugitive again.

Steve understood. He shared the same sentiment about leaving a loved one behind and he couldn't let this happen to the man. "I understand Lang. It's your choice. You're free to go if things get out of hand. I'm not going to stop you or expose you.", he smiled.

"Alright, since that's out of the way..."

An alarm broadcast sounded through the airport.

"They're evacuating the airport.", said Barnes.

"Stark."

"Stark?", Scott questioned in confusion.

"Suit up.", Steve ordered.

From the moment he saw Tony Stark and his team of superheroes, Scott knew he was in deep trouble. He had gotten himself into a difficult situation. They weren't up against psycho-assassins, at least not for now. He came to a realisation that the Avengers were up against each other. This was a mistake, a mistake he didn't want to end up paying. Still, Scott fought his way through the opposing team, shrinking and growing back in size. In his head, all he knew was he needed to go back home. He needed to survive this.

"Oh, you're gonna have to take this into the shop.", he chuckled as he destroyed the mechanical wirings in Tony Stark's suit.

"Who's speaking?", Stark questioned, clearly irritated.

"It's your conscience. We don't talk a lot these days.", Scott quipped.

"Friday?"

"Deploying fire suppression system.", the computer replied.

"Uh-oh.", Scott ran for his life as water gushed through the suit, he slipped and slide, but was washed out from the suit and fell onto a metal platform.

"We need a diversion. Something big.", Sam spoke through the microphone. It might be the only way to get Steve and Barnes to the jet hangar.

"I got something kinda big. But I can't hold it very long. On my signal, run like hell. And if I tear myself in half...don't come back for me.", Scott explained as he ran as fast as he could and landed on Rhodey. Deep down, he prayed hard that this would work.

"You sure about this Scott?, Steve was concerned.

"I do it all the time. I mean, once, in a lab. Then I passed out.", he tweaked the settings on his suit, pressed the button, an grew 65 feet tall. It worked! He grabbed Rhodey by the legs and threw him off. In the midst of the chaos, while Steve and Barnes were heading for the hagar, Scott was being continuously attacked by Peter and Rhodey. He tried his best to fight them off but his movements were still slightly clumsy as he hadn't had an ample amount of practice as Giant Man. Peter was trapping his legs with web-slings, encircling them, and while he was distracted, Stark and Rhodey swooped in and knocked him off his feet. Scott fell to the ground with a crash and shrank to his normal size.

"Does anyone have any orange slices?", he popped off his helmet. He might have broken a bone somewhere.

Nearby, police sirens wailed.

"Sorry guys, I gotta go.", he was not going to get apprehended. He quickly shrunk, and hopped onto a flying ant.

"Good luck Scott. Thanks for the help.", Steve responded.

"You're welcome Cap.", and he flew off.

It was nightfall when he tiptoed up the stairs, and as he turned the doorknob of his bedroom door, the floorboard creaked. He paused and held his breath. When he called Hank for help for a ride home, he had informed him that Hope had found out about his little adventure in Germany. He was ready to face the music. He was exhausted, his body ached in every place, and he swore there was a broken rib somewhere. Slowly, he pushed the door open and stepped in.

"Why didn't you tell me Scott?", her voice was cold.

He jumped when he heard her voice, his hand shot up to his chest as if was having a heart attack. He turned the lights on.

Hope was sitting upright on the bed, her sharp dark green eyes staring at him with burning intensity. With the lights on, she noticed his face was covered with patches of darkening bruises, there was one near his right eye, his cheek and a cut on his upper lip. God knows what other injuries were hidden underneath his clothes. Her heart skipped a beat. It pained her to see him hurt.

A heavy silence filled the room.

He inhaled deeply. "I can explain. I didn't want you to worry -", but he was cut off.

"No. Don't you dare tell me that Scott. Don't you dare tell me not to worry.", she raised her voice, got off the bed and walked towards him with clenched fists. Scott glanced at her, not moving, thinking she was going to throw a punch at him. He deserved it. She was furious, and at that moment, she really wanted to throw him across the room. To his surprise though, she grabbed his face and tilted it to a side, inspecting his bruises.

"Does it hurt?", she was fuming inside but her voice was soft, her fingers trembling slightly as she gently touched the bruises.

"No, not really.", he shook his head, wide-eyed.

"Go to the bed Lang.", she ordered and let go of him.

He did as he was told and sat at the edge of the bed, feeling guilty to the core, while Hope rummaged through the cupboard for a first-aid kit. She sat beside him, still glowering at him, and tended to the cuts and bruises.

"Hold still."

He didn't dare to move one bit but he still opened his mouth and tried to explain. "Hope, I'm sorry. They came to me saying they needed help against some assassins and I thought why not. I only just wanted to help. I didn't know the Avengers had split up - OUCH!", he winced. She was really going to kill him.

She pressed on the bruise on his cheek with full force. "That's for not telling me about it and not thinking it through when you decided to go joy-riding with Captain America!", she emphasized on the last few words and frowned at him. "What were you thinking Scott, you could have gotten caught or worse...", she couldn't bear to think about it, and tears welled up in her eyes. Damn those pregnancy hormones.

She blinked the tears away. "I thought you would stop being an idiot, especially after I told you...", she left her sentenced unfinished. "Maybe you didn't think about me, but what about Cassie? What about your unborn child?"

She was wrong, he had fallen head over heels for her and he felt like the luckiest man alive to have her by his side. "I think about you all the time.", his lips curled up to a small smile as he looked at her with puppy dog eyes. He was giving her that look, unintentionally, the look that made her knees weak.

"No, don't do that.", she sounded stern, but she bit her lip, resisting a smile.

"Do what?", he continued to look at her.

"That.", she swatted him on the chest.

"Ow!", he flinched. "I think you might have broken another rib.", he coughed and rubbed his chest.

"Shit. I'm sorry.", her hands flew to his sides.

"I was going to come back Hope. I will never leave you. I'm sorry for being so impulsive and irrational.", he said honestly, as he wrapped his fingers around her hand and pulled it to his chest, letting her feel his heart beat.

"Well, you did come back.", she was grateful that he came to his senses the last minute. She loved him and she couldn't lose him.

"So does that mean you forgive me?", he asked carefully.

"I do.", she nodded. "But Scott, if you do this again, I swear -"

"Never.", he cupped her cheek and leaned closer to her. "I love you Hope.", he pulled her in for a kiss.

"I love you Scott.", she murmured, smiling into the kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

_Prompt: Scott and Hope are dating before Hank recruits him (Part 1)._

"Welcome to Baskin Robbins, would you like to try our -", he looked up and left his sentence hanging, a surprised look on his face when he saw a familiar face standing right in front of him.

"Hey.", the woman smiled a little as she observed him, while he stood frozen behind the counter. He was wearing a pink-coloured Baskin Robbins t-shirt with an apron, topped with a blue hat, which, by the way, looked ridiculous, but cute.

"Hope? What are you doing here?", he arched a brow but his heart fluttered, as he tried his best to suppress the excitement flowing through him. He noticed she had cut her hair and she now sported a short bob that framed her face. He hasn't seen her for months, even though it was his idea, for them to not see each other again.

"Why didn't you tell me you were out from...", she looked around and made sure nobody was eavesdropping, "...out from prison Scott?", her face tense, as she kept her voice low, overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions. Even though they weren't in contact for a few months, she had been keeping tabs on him, and she was glad she had found him through Luis, his cell mate from prison.

Scott Lang was imprisoned for the past three years because of his infamous heist at Vistacorp. He had discovered that the company was overcharging their customers and thinking it was a coding error, he changed it but soon realized that the company was intentionally doing it to increase their financial gains when the company's CEO ordered him to revert his corrections. He was fired from the company when he blew the whistle. Angered by it, he broke into the headquarters and hacked their systems and transferred millions back to the people that they stole it from. However, he had gone a little bit too far when he broke into the CEO's mansion and stole several items and drove his car into the mansion's pool, which lead to his arrest.

Noticing that a line was holding up behind her, Scott was quick to take action. "Hey, could you cover for me please?" I'll be back shortly.", he sought help from a colleague. "Shall we talk?", he motioned towards the back door that lead to an alleyway.

"Sure.", she inhaled deeply as she followed him closely.

As soon as they reached the alleyway, Hope had grabbed his jaw and pulled him close to her, kissing him desperately. It took him by surprise, but he responded instantaneously, kissing her back, his hands trailing from her waist to the back of her thighs, as he pushed her up against the wall, taking in her sweet lips that he had yearned to kiss for the past three years. She had forgotten how soft his lips felt against hers, and how his lingering touch sent shivers to her spine. They pulled away from each other, catching their breath, but maintaining eye contact.

"I've missed you.", she whispered, her breath hot against his face.

"Hope, I thought I told you we can't see each other anymore. I'm just not good enough -", he shook his head slightly while he cupped her cheek, thumb gently stroking her face.

She cut him off. "Don't tell me what I can't do Scott. Just because you went to prison doesn't mean you're not good enough for me. I know what's best for me and right now Scott, you're good enough for me.", she remarked firmly, her dark green eyes burning right through him.

His face broke into a lopsided smile. What did he do to deserve her. "I've missed you too Hope.", he confessed as he hugged her tight.

 _He had first met her in a bar. He was sitting at the bar counter, his gaze focused on a glass shot of whiskey that he was holding and slowly swirling. It had been a long day for Scott, even after a half day from work, where he had been busy settling divorce papers with Maggie, his ex-wife. They had been high-school sweethearts who made their way to marriage, but unfortunately, things between them failed to work out. He was, however, relieved that they had a mutual agreement about sharing their custody rights for Cassie, their 4-year-old daughter._

 _He was caught up with his thoughts, when a woman dressed in a smart-looking pant-suit sat at the same bar counter just a few seats away from him. Hope slid off her coat and placed it on the back of her chair, revealing a sleeveless low cut dark green blouse that complimented her olive green eyes. She needed a time-out from work, especially after Darren Cross had informed her that he might have successfully replicated her father's Pym Particle, much to her horror. Hank Pym and Hope were estranged, after her mother's death, but she knew her father was determined to keep his technology a secret, as he deemed them dangerous._

 _"A shot of vodka please.", she signalled the bartender._

 _For a split moment, their eyes met._

 _He nodded at her, a goofy single-sided smile plastered on his face as he slightly raised his glass and drank his whiskey in one gulp._

 _Hope just stared at him incredulously._

 _"Hey there pretty, can I get you a drink?", a burly-looking man came up to her side, clearly drunk._

 _"No thanks.", she rolled her eyes, not looking at him. She was used to men occasionally hitting on her, and if she was at all interested, which happened rarely, she would have a little fun one night stand, no strings attached. But not today._

 _"Come on, it's just one drink.", he was persistent._

 _"I'm perfectly fine drinking alone.", she glared at the stranger._

 _"Where's the fun in that? You can I could have some fun.", he placed a hand on her shoulder, and looked towards his circle of friends at the other table, who were all snickering. Hope was about to grab the man's hand off her shoulder when she heard another man's voice coming from another direction._

 _The commotion had caught Scott's attention. "Hey, leave her alone, will ya?", he hollered at the man, slightly tipsy._

 _"What? You're her boyfriend or sumthin'?', he scowled at Scott._

 _"No. But I think she made her point crystal clear buddy.", he got up from his chair, walked towards the man, and wrapped his arm around his neck. "Now, why don't you leave her alone?", he patted his shoulder, with a silly smile on his face._

 _Hope stared at Scott, amused. She was perfectly capable of handling the matter on her own but this strange man had to step in, thinking she was the damsel in distress._

 _"Get your hands off me and mind your own business!", the man yelled, as he pushed Scott away and flung a fist at his face which landed right on his nose. Scott tumbled backwards and almost lost his balance._

 _Hope smiled a little as she had predicted the fate of the poor man who had decided to be her 'knight in shining armour'._

 _"Hey!", Scott touched his nose and winced in pain._

 _Ignoring Scott, the man turned to Hope and inched himself close to her face. "Now, where were we? Why don't we head somewhere -". He was unable to finish his sentence when Hope threw a lightning punch at his face, knocking the man off onto the bar counter. All she wanted was for some peace for the night and this stupid man had to ruin it all._

 _"Son of a bitch.", he spat. He was about to grab her when she gracefully moved behind him and seized his wrists, pinning him on the counter. She twisted his arms forcefully, almost dislocating his shoulders, which made him wail in pain. "Leave me alone.", she spoke through gritted teeth._

 _Scott looked at her in awe, stunned. The man was twice her size and yet she had easily tackled him._

 _"Okay! Okay!", the man surrendered. She let go of him, threw some money on the bar counter and stormed out the door._

 _"Hey, hey, you left your coat!", Scott had chased after her, when he realized that she had left her coat in the bar._

 _She turned around and took her coat from him. "You know, I didn't need your help back there, I had it under control and I would be completely fine without your interference.", she smiled thinly. Though, she admired his bravery, not many people will stand up against such situations at this time and age._

 _"A simple thank you would suffice but yeah, yeah, you definitely didn't need my help.", he nodded in agreement, and awkwardly ran his hand through his hair._

 _Now that they were out from the dim lights in the bar, he could see her clearly under the moonlight. Her facial features were fine and elegant. She had green eyes that were sharp and bright, and light brown freckles were speckled on her nose to her cheeks, but her dimples, her dimples were definitely her most eye-catching feature. She was undeniably beautiful and attractive._

 _"Your nose, it's bleeding."_

 _"Wh -?", he rubbed his nose lightly, and drops of blood stained his fingers. "Oh, it's fine. I'm fine.", he grinned._

 _"If you say so.", she was about to turn around when he spoke again._

 _"Where you're heading?", he blurted, not knowing why he'd asked the question in the first place. "I can walk you, just in case those guys from the bar, who knows what they'll do...", he rambled on._

 _"If they do, I can handle them. Besides, I don't think you really want to get a broken nose.", she smirked and walked off. Hope appreciated his little offer, but she was more than capable at taking care of herself, always was. He stood by the roadside, and watched her disappear around the corner._

 _The second time he met her, a few months after their first encounter, was at a charity event. Scott was one of the representatives from Vistacorp, but in all honesty, this place was too fancy for his liking. He was an engineer, an electrical engineer to be precise, not a businessman. He didn't belong to the world of the rich and he'd rather be in the confines of his computers. He tugged at his tie uncomfortably, smoothed his suit, grabbed a cocktail off one of the servers and took a sip._

 _That's when he saw her, walking towards his direction, and he couldn't help but stare. Her shoulder-length dark hair was swept to the side, and she wore a white coloured gown with a right high slit that fell to her ankles, the split showing off her long, toned, slender legs when she walked. God, she's beautiful._

 _"Thanks.", he handed back the cocktail to one of the waiters._

 _She had noticed him when he walked down the stairs to the main hall, the man with the goofy smile who had helped her in the bar. She could easily see that he was checking her out from the way his gaze followed her as she walked towards him. Not to say she wasn't checking him out too, he had lose the scruff he had back then, and was clean shaven, revealing his boyish features, and he looked dapper in a silver metallic suit._

 _"How's your nose?", she stopped right in front of him and scanned his face._

 _"It's definitely not broken. Still able to use it for breathing, for sure." She remembered. His eyes brightened slightly, surprised. "I never got to know your name. I'm Scott by the way. Scott Lang.", he grinned widely and held out his hand. She intrigued him. Deep down, Scott knew she was more than just a pretty face._

 _"Hope van Dyne.", she shook his hand._

 _"So, you're alone here?", her hand was soft, but he was pretty sure it could choke a man dead._

 _"Anything wrong with that?"_

 _"Can't imagine a beautiful woman like you without a partner.", he flirted._

 _"Well, I don't need one.", she replied confidently._

 _Scott was about to retort when they were interrupted by a tall, dark and handsome man who seemed to be interested in Hope, walking towards their direction._

 _"Not again.", she muttered under her breath._

 _"Hope.", the man eyed her up and down, eyes flickering with list. He flashed a smile, stepped towards her and leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the cheek, while placing his hand on the small of her back._

 _"William.", she fake smiled, though Scott could see her body stiffened and her fists clenched._

 _"I thought you said you weren't coming.", his hand still on her back, hovering dangerously close to her waist below._

 _"I changed my mind. And I said that because I didn't want to be your partner.", her voice cold and blunt._

 _"You really know how to hurt a man Hope. Maybe after this we could get a drink or two. I'm still waiting for that date.", he whispered in her ear._

 _Scott cleared his throat. "I'm just gonna go grab -", he stepped backwards and almost turned around when Hope grabbed him and wrapped her hands around his arm._

 _"It's too late for that William. This is my partner, Scott Lang.", she looked at Scott, clearly stunned, and lightly squeezed his arm._

 _"Your partner?", the man, who had completely ignored his presence, stared him down, clearly judging him. "Business partner?"_

 _"Oh...oh!", Scott raised a brow. Taking her hint, he was ready to play along. "I'm definitely not her business partner, not that kind of partner.", he smirked and winked playfully at her._

 _"I must say, you must have your charm. Hope, she's hard to impress.", clearly disappointed as he raised his forehead._

 _It wasn't that Hope was hard to impress. Her past relationships were barely what they call a 'relationship', she simply couldn't care about them, she just haven't come across somebody who she can trust entirely._

 _"I can be pretty charming if I want to. But, she charmed me." Hope rolled her eyes at his comment, her grip on his arm tightened, as if sending a warning. "Shall we go get a drink?", receiving her signal._

 _"Sure.", she was impressed that he wasn't that clueless after all._

 _"It was nice to meet you, William, isn't it?", and they walked off together, arm in arm. "I thought you were going to punch him in the face.", he chuckled._

 _She laughed, genuinely. "Almost, but I wouldn't want to hurt my business associate, it would be damaging to my company." Her laugh was a rare occurrence, and Scott noticed that her entire face would light up when she laughed, her eyes turning crescent-shaped and her killer dimples would deepen._

 _"Your company?", for some reason, he wanted to know more about her._

 _"Pym Tech."_

 _They stopped walking till they were out of sight from William and he felt the warmth of her hand leaving his. They stood facing each other. He had heard of Pym Tech, a scientific research company which specializes in nanotechnology and human enhancements._

 _"So you're a scientist? Businesswoman?", he took a guess._

 _"Both." She was the chairman of Pym Tech. She was not only lethal, but was smart and intelligent. Her gaze had left his, as she searched through the crowd and spotted a familiar face. "Thanks for the help Lang."_

 _"Sure. It was my pleasure to be of service.", he tucked a hand behind his back and bowed slightly._

 _She bit her lip, stifling a laugh. He seemed honest and sincere, unlike the pretentious crowd at the event. She nodded at him, and walked off, her stilettos clicking away on the marble floor._

 _He never expected to see her again until one day when he was passing by Pym Technologies, when he saw the back of a woman that looked familiar by the roadside. Hope was bended over, one of her high heels had gotten stuck in a drain cover, and she was desperately trying to get it off, but to no avail. "God.", she cursed under her breath when she heard footsteps approaching._

 _"Hey, you need some help there?", she swore she knew that voice from somewhere. She looked up and there he was, Scott Lang was standing right in front of her._

 _"How is it that every single time when I'm running into some kind of trouble, you're here? If I didn't know better, I'd say you're following me.", she half joked._

 _"I know. It's funny how we keep running into each other. Maybe it's destiny.", he shrugged nonchalantly._

 _She scoffed at him. Destiny? She doesn't believe in destiny._

 _"Why don't you just take your shoe off and I'll help you to get it out from the drain?", he suggested._

 _"No, it's alright. I can handle this.", she grabbed his arm for balance and support, and with all her might, she pulled the heel off. She stood up and their eyes met, their faces so close together he caught a whiff of a light vanilla scent. Quickly, they both looked away._

 _"You're pretty independent aren't you."_

 _"What's wrong with being independent?", she smirked._

 _"Nothing wrong with that. I'm all for independence." He liked how she was always defensive and witty at the same time._

 _"Anyway, I'm running late. It was nice to see you again Lang."_

 _"Scott, you can just call me Scott. Hey, maybe we could grab some coffee next time?", he asked without thinking. She was definitely way out of his league, still, he couldn't help but feel attracted to her._

 _"Coffee?", she tilted her head slightly, surprised._

 _"Yeah, you know for all the help that I did, you owe me.", he replied cheekily._

 _"I owe you?", she crossed her arms, amused._

 _"How about tomorrow? Breakfast?", he was pushing it, hoping she wouldn't say no._

 _"Sure. One coffee.", to be honest, his modest charm was pretty irresistible._

 _"One? I have a feeling it will be more than once.", he quipped._

 _And so here he was, seated at a corner of a breakfast diner, during the weekend, patiently awaiting for her to appear. She was running ten minutes late, and he was beginning to think she wasn't going to show up at all. His hands fidget nervously, his heart anxious. They had exchanged phone numbers the last time they met. He kept glancing at his phone screen repeatedly, just to make sure he hadn't miss anything. Just as he was about to take his phone to message her, the door to the diner flung opened and she walked in, her eyes wandering around searching for him. He waved at her, relieved, and couldn't help but notice that her make-up was light, and yet she still looked radiant and beautiful._

 _"Sorry I'm late.", she sat opposite him._

 _"I was starting to think you weren't coming at all.", he flashed a small smile._

 _"Now where's your confidence when you decided to ask me out?", she stared at him, her green eyes flickered teasingly._

 _"Honestly, I was just trying my luck.", he downplayed himself._

 _"Look Scott, if I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have said yes to this date.", she was sincere. It was refreshing to meet someone out from her circle of work and business associates, and she thought Scott was different, and for whatever reason, she felt comfortable with him._

 _"So this is a date?"_

 _"It depends on what you would like to call it.", she teased._

 _"I like you Hope, and I would definitely like to know you more.", he went straight to the point._

 _She smiled shyly, a faint blush creeping to her cheeks. "Well, what do you want to know?"_


	8. Chapter 8

Prompt: Scott and Hope are dating before Hank recruits him. (Part 2)

"Scott?"

"Scott?"

He woke up with a jerk, and thought he had heard Hope's voice calling out to him. He blinked a few times, and sure enough, sitting at the edge of the bed, next to him, was Hope.

"Hope?", he squinted, as his eyes took in the unfamiliar surroundings. He was in a bedroom that didn't look like hers or his. "Where am I?", he was utterly puzzled.

"You're in my house I grew up in."

"What?! Why am I in your house? I've never been here before.", his eyes wide with confusion, and then he remembered the event that had occurred. "Hope, something weird happened. I stole a suit."

"You stole a suit?"

"I can explain. And then I wore it and I became small, as tiny as an ant, everything else was so big, and I was riding on a flying ant and I fell...why aren't you surprised?", he steadied his breath and looked suspiciously at her. She didn't look at him like he was crazy and nor was she angry at him for committing another crime.

"Scott, calm down.", she stroked his hair. She was worried he had suffered a concussion from the fall he had but from the way he was remembering things, he was alright. He had experienced something out of the norm and it was understandable that he was in shock. "That suit that you stole, it belonged to my dad.", she told him calmly.

"I don't understand.", he had never met her father before, but he knew they were estranged and she rarely talked about him.

She stood up. "If you're ready Scott, he's waiting downstairs for you.", and she walked out the bedroom.

"Hope, wait, whose pyjamas are these?"

Scott walked down the stairs quietly, taking deep breaths to clear his mind. As he approached the dining room, he could hear Hope's voice, in an argument with a man, presumably her father. "I could take down the servers and Cross wouldn't even know it. We don't need him.", her voice low and firm.

"I assume that you've already met my daughter Hope.", Hank Pym spotted Scott out from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, she's great.", he frowned at Hope, not knowing what to say.

"We're dating, Hank.", Hope said, deadpan. She was amazed at how her father claimed that he could go, hear and see anywhere by controlling the ants and yet he knew absolutely nothing.

His brows immediately knitted into a frown, shocked at the revelation. "When did this happen?"

"It happened a long time ago. And since when were you interested in any of my relationships Hank?"

"Would it kill you to call me dad?", Hank retorted. He had never seen any of her boyfriends before this and if he was honest himself, he wouldn't have known how to deal with the situation, other than most probably choking the guy with his bare hands. Still, he calmed himself down, he needed Scott.

Hope stared at Hank coldly.

Scott swallowed a lump in his throat. Hearing Hope calling her father by his first name made him realised that their father-daughter relationship was far worse than he had thought it would be.

"You're dating a criminal?", he crossed his arms.

"Ex-criminal.", she corrected him. "What's wrong with that?"

Scott stood at the door awkwardly. "Look, if this is a bad time, I can come back later, or I can not come back at all.", he was perplexed at the whole situation.

"No Scott, you can sit. We shall talk about that later.", he instructed.

Scott did as he was told, and he carefully took a seat opposite from Hope.

"She doesn't think that we need you."

"We don't. We can do this ourselves." She wasn't going to let Scott be in her family's mess.

Hank ignored Hope. "I was very impressed with how you managed to pass my security system, freezing that metal was particularly clever.", he turned to Scott, taking a good look at him. He wondered how his daughter had fell for this man.

"Were you watching me?"

"Scott, I've been watching you for a while, ever since you robbed Vistacorp. Oh, excuse me, burgled Vistacorp. Vista's security system was one of the most advanced in the business, it was supposed to be unbeatable, but you beat it.", he was impressed.

Across the table, Hope smirked. When she found out what Scott had did, she was furious, furious because he didn't tell her about the heist and was stupid enough to let himself get caught. Still, she stood by him.

"Did you know about this?", Scott looked at Hope.

She shook her head. "No. Hank decided to surprise me with his new recruit, which I obviously do not approve.", she glowered at her father.

"Come with me Scott." Hank led Scott to his lab, with Hope grudgingly following behind them. He explained to him the origins of the suit and the Pym Particle, about how it was dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands, and how his protege Darren Cross was close to re-creating the particles that he tried so hard to protect.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to break into a place and steal some shit.", Hank stated bluntly. "That's Mitchell Carson, ex-Head of Defense at SHIELD, presently in the business of toppling governments. He always wanted my tech, and now, unless we break in and steal the Yellow Jacket, and destroy all the data, Darren Cross is going to unleash chaos upon the world."

"I think the first move should be calling The Avengers.", Scott thought that Hank was out of his mind. He was a good thief, but he wasn't a superhero.

Hank scoffed while Hope let out a shaky laugh. Trust Scott to say something ridiculous at an important moment.

"I spent half my life trying to keep this technology out of the hands of a Stark, I'm sure as hell not going to hand-deliver to one now. This is not some cute technology like the Iron Man suit. This could change the texture of reality. Besides, they'd probably too busy dropping cities out of the sky. I need somebody that could infiltrate a place that's designed to prevent infiltration.", he was serious.

"Hank, I'm a thief, all right. I'm a good thief, but this is insane.", Scott shook his head. He just wasn't the man suited for this mission.

"Scott, I believe that everyone deserves a shot at redemption. Do you? If you can help me, I promise I can help you be with your daughter again.", he continued to persuade Scott. "This is your chance, the chance to become the hero that she already thinks you are."

Scott thought deeply about what Hank said. Maybe this was his chance.

"I need you to be the Ant-Man, Scott."

"Hank, stop it." Hope interrupted. She knew that Scott would do anything for his daughter and her father was manipulating Scott's feelings as a father. "You've seen the footage, you know what Cross is capable of. I'm wearing the suit.", she stared right at Hank, determination etched on her face.

"Absolutely not!", he furiously pointed a finger at her.

"I know the facility inside and out. I know how Cross thinks. I know this mission better than anybody here.", she argued.

"We need you close to Cross, otherwise, this mission cannot work! Hope, please listen to me.", Hank shook with anger.

"I'm your daughter! I can't let Scott risk his life for this, not when he's someone important to me! ", she raised her voice.

"NO!", Hank shouted, and slammed his hands on the table.

Hope looked at him with disbelief, aghast at her father's response. In the heat of the moment, she took off from the house and headed for her car.

Hank slumped against a chair, a hand rubbing his temples. "We can't do this without her.", he sighed.

"Hope!", Scott chased after her and climbed in to her car.

"Go away Scott.", she couldn't bring herself to look at him, not after what had happened back in the house. She just couldn't understand why her father was so against of her taking the mantle of the suit. She had trained her whole life for this, and yet she was being denied the chance to prove herself, most importantly, the chance to prove herself to him.

Scott knew she was building up her walls again, protecting herself, shutting him out. Carefully, he took her hand in his, his fingers laced around hers. He took it as a good sign when she didn't pull back. "Hope, look at me.", he said softly.

She glanced at him, expression pained. "You know, I thought, with all that's at stake, just maybe we might have a chance at making peace. But even now, he still wants to shut me out."

"He doesn't want to shut you out. He trusts you.", he stated the truth.

"Then why did he choose you to wear the suit?", she wasn't jealous of Scott, but she couldn't comprehend why her father would trust a stranger for the mission.

"It proves that he loves you." he understood Hank's intention. After all, he was a father himself. He would protect Cassie at all cost, even if it means losing his life.

Hope rolled her eyes at his comment, but he continued. "I'm expendable. That's why I'm here. You must have realised that by now. I mean, it's why I'm in the suit and you're not. He'd rather lose this fight than lose you."

"You're not expendable. Not to me.", she whispered, her fingers fiddling with his hand. His touch comforted her. "I just can't let you risk your life Scott. Think about Cassie. Think about -", she paused. " - me." They had been separated for three years when Scott went to prison, and she wasn't going to lose him over this.

He was moved by what she had just said, and god help him, he loved her even more now. "I know. But I'm doing this for the both of you.", he pulled her close, and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I promise you, I'll be alright. I can do this. You just need to trust me.", he gave her a little grin.

"Scott...", she shook her head. She pulled him close and hugged him tight, feeling the warmth of his embrace.

Scott and Hope were in Hank's basement, where they had been training closely, to prepare Scott for the mission. "When you're small, energy's compressed, so you have the force of a two-hundred pound man behind a fist a hundredth of an inch wide. You're like a bullet. You punch too hard, you kill someone. Too soft, it's a love tap. In other words, you have to know how to punch.", Hope explained.

"I was in prison for three years. I know how to punch.", his voice cocky. He knew that she trained in martial arts since she was seven years old, and he had seen her in action, which terrified him and turned him on for some reason, but still, he couldn't help but brag to her.

"Show me.", she held both her hands up.

He punched her hand, but it barely even moved her. "Terrible.", she rolled her eyes.

"You want to show me how to punch? Show me.", he was ready.

He was about to lift his palms up, when she punched him in the face, knocking him backwards. Even though he was her partner, she wasn't going to go soft on him.

"That's how you punch.", she looked at him, pleased.

"Were you going for the hand?", he was slightly annoyed.

"Scott, just because you're my boyfriend, doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you.", she smirked.

"I knew you would say that.", he charged towards her. She put both her hands up in a protective manner, but he had aimed for her abdomen instead, and she felt the sting of his punch. She flinched slightly. "Aw, you okay? Did I hurt -", he didn't even had the chance to complete his sentence, when she decked him straight on the nose. With him distracted, she smoothly tackled him with a flying triangle choke, trapping his head between her legs.

"Leggo of me!", he mumbled, trying to catch his breath, while hitting her thigh desperately. He swore she was going to be the death of him.

Hope relaxed and let him go. "You okay princess?", she laughed.

He regained his composure. "What do you think?", just when she let her guard down, he hurtled towards her, and pinned her arms above her head. He looked down at her, studying the beads of sweat dripping down her face and neck. She was stunning, even in a sports attire. "How do you like it now? Being the one at the bottom?", he grinned cheekily, he was using his weight as an advantage, holding her down. She could feel his warm breath on her, the tension between them rising. She noticed the way he was staring at her, his eyes full of desire. He leaned forwards, his lips dangerously hovering above hers, both of them breathing heavily.

"Are you going to kiss me?", she teased.

"I am." And he kissed her. God, he could spar with her everyday and he wouldn't mind one bit, even if it meant getting his ass kicked by her.


	9. All That Matters Is You

"Hope, would you tuck me in bed today?", Cassie looked at Hope with bright eyes, flashing her irresistible dimply smile, as she slightly tugged her hand, hoping she would agree. Her smile was disarming, just like her father's.

"Sure, why not.", a wide smile blossomed on Hope's face, she glanced at Scott, who nodded his head slightly in approval. Not long before, the three of them had a fun time bonding over their very own personal drive-in theatre in Scott's backyard. Hope hadn't seen Cassie for the past two years and she was astounded at how much she had grown. Her two front teeth had grown gorgeously, for sure. And, she was still the same little girl she had come to know before this, smart, brave, and kind. It would be a lie if she said she didn't long to see Cassie for the past two years, as much as she did for Scott.

"Yay!", she clapped her hands in glee. "Let's go Hope!", she grabbed Hope's hand in excitement, and pulled her towards the staircase.

"Can I come?", Scott asked as he watched them ascend the stairs.

"No daddy, girls only!", Cassie giggled while Hope turned her head, her forehead raised as she shot a playful smirk at Scott, and mouthed 'sorry'.

Scott shook his head slightly, faking disappointment but with a smile plastered on his face. Deep down, he was happy that Hope was back in his life again, the two years without her was pure torture as he had missed her presence so much. As much as he wanted to leave the two of them alone, his curiosity got the better of him, and he walked quietly up the stairs, following them.

Cassie climbed onto her bed happily and sat comfortably upright on the bed as Hope walked into her bedroom. The older woman sat at the edge of the bed, and pulled the covers over the little girl, tucking her in. "Hope, will you come by again?", she asked. Even though she hasn't seen her for two years, she still remembered the times she had spent with Hope, especially the moments when she would teach her how to fight. She adored Hope and she knew she meant a lot to her father.

"I'll come by whenever you want me to.", she smiled, reaching out a hand, and gently stroked her pink cheek. Hope recalled the first time she had met Cassie. She was never particularly fond of children, and she didn't really know how to interact with them, but Cassie was an exception. She exuded a certain a kind of charm like her father, and she reminded Hope a little of herself, and immediately, they bonded with each other with ease.

"And whenever daddy wants you to.", she replied cheekily.

Hope let out a soft laugh, blushing slightly. "Well, we'll see about that." Even though she and her family were still on the run, she felt better now, with Scott by her side. He had left her devastated when he took off alone for the mission in Germany, but truth be told, he had never left her mind, or her heart.

"I know daddy's happier now, with you here." Even though she was only ten years old, she was wise for her age. She definitely didn't inherit that trait from her father, definitely not. Scott was a man-child. She had noticed how her father's face would light up with joy, how his eyes sparkled with nothing but love every single time he was around Hope. For the past two years, however, that joy in him seemed to have dissipated, leaving a hole in his heart, even though her father had never told her about it.

"Did he really tell you that he wanted me to be his partner?", Hope asked, with a little smile on her face.

"Yes he did!", she nodded enthusiastically.

Hope's heart fluttered with happiness.

"Even though I wanted to be his partner...", she spoke the last few words softly in a whisper, her puppy eyes drooped slightly sadly.

"Oh sweetheart. You'll always be his favourite partner, that will never change.", she stroked her hair. "It's just a different kind of partner, your father loves you very much Cassie.", she continued.

"I love him very much too!", her father was her hero no matter what. "Do you love him Hope?", she looked at Hope, eyes burning with curiosity.

She was taken aback her by her question, as she didn't expect it to come from her. She frowned slightly, a frenzy of thoughts running through her mind. Did she love Scott? She had despised him in the beginning because her father had decided to entrust a complete stranger with the Ant-Man suit, rather than her. But along the way, she had found out he was kind, brilliant, lovable and charming in his own dorky way. He was also a good father and Hope admired his relationship with Cassie, something she never had with her father when she was growing up. Later on, she truly realised she loved him when she had kissed him on the docks, afraid that she was going to lose him.

"Yes I do Cassie.", Hope nodded firmly and replied softly. She couldn't lie to this sweet child. "But you can't tell him that, it'll be our little secret.", she grinned, and held out her little finger. "Promise?"

"Promise! Yay our little secret!", Cassie intertwined her little finger with Hope's.

"Alright, it's late, you should sleep.", she ruffled her hair. The little girl laid down on the bed and she tucked her in tightly. Hope leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, a little bit surprised herself that the gesture came by so naturally.

"I love you Hope.", Cassie whispered under the covers.

Upon hearing the little girl's words, Hope bursted with bliss. Suddenly, she realised her life was turning around for the better, she had her parents, Scott, and Cassie. The people she love, loved her back and she was grateful and contented. "I love you too Cassie." She stood up and was about to leave the bedroom when Cassie spoke again.

"Will you tell him that you love him?"

Hope smiled. "Maybe I will.", she winked at her. "Good night sweetheart."

She opened the bedroom door and stepped outside the hallway, and that was when she caught Scott quietly sneaking into his bedroom. "Scott?", she called out to him, crossing her arms.

He turned around and walked towards her, with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"No. Most definitely not.", he shook his head and denied. He was lying. A moment ago, Scott's ear was plastered on Cassie's bedroom door, as he tried his best to listen to their conversation. However, all he heard were muffled sounds and he gave up and decided to wait for Hope in his bedroom.

She saw through his lie and frowned.

"Okay. I tried to. But I couldn't hear a thing.", he confessed.

Hope chuckled. He was such a dork. Well, her dork. "So, I'll get going...", she was about to turn around when she felt his hand touching hers.

"Hey, it's late. Why don't you stay?", he smiled warmly as he lightly squeezed her hand.

Her green eyes widened, and she smiled bashfully. "I don't suppose you still have some of my clothes here?", she asked, staring right at him. After he was apprehended, she hadn't bothered to come back to his house to gather her things because she and her father had to go into hiding.

"No, I do. They're still in my cupboard.", he moved closer to her, closing the distance between them. "So, stay?", he asked again.

"Okay. Just tonight.", she agreed.

"Are you sure it's only just tonight?", he flashed a lopsided smile. She was about to say something when his expression turned serious. "Hope, I'm glad you're here. After what I've done, I didn't expect you to forgive me, but you did, and I'm very grateful for that and I couldn't be happier. I just want you to know that you and Cassie are the two most important people in my life and I'm not going to let you slip through my hands again...", he chattered on.

She cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. "Scott, did anybody tell you that you talk too much?" She was starting to think that it might be due to Luis's influence on him.

"All the time." He wrapped his arms around her waist, his face closing in on hers, their foreheads resting on each other, lips almost touching, both smiling shyly.

"I love you so much Hope." He pressed his lips against hers and they kissed deeply, her arms sliding up around his neck, his hands moving from her waist to her thighs and she jumps on him, and he lifts her up with ease, her legs around his hips.

"I love you Scott.", she murmured against his lips, as he carried her to his bedroom.


	10. You Can Do It (v)

_Future fic! The beginning of motherhood._

"Shit.", she cursed, her breath hitched, as another contraction passed through. She was sitting up on a hospital bed, with her hair pulled back into a bun, and beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her face slightly smudged with sweat and tears. She had been in labour for the past twelve hours, and with every passing second, the whole process seemed interminable. She was tired and exhausted and all she wanted was the baby out from her.

He was by her side all the time, comforting and encouraging her. "Just breathe.", he held her hand, thumb gently stroking her knuckles. He could feel her grip tightened as a contraction came, her grip strong enough to break all the bones in his fingers, but he knew it couldn't compare to the pain that she was going through.

"I'm breathing.", she snapped and glared at him. She steadied her breath and tried to breathe through the pain, hoping it would make her forget that there's a baby trying to force it's way out from her. This was all his fault, but she didn't have the energy to scream at him. She wished she could hurl him across the room, to make him feel the pain she felt now, but she knew it wouldn't hurt as much as this, definitely not.

"I know. You're doing great.", he grinned a little as he looked at her affectionately. He had been in the same position before when Cassie was born, but still, he couldn't help but worry, and was trying his level best to put on a brave facade. She needed him and he wasn't going to be a nervous wreck in front of her. However, he observed that Hope was better at coping with the pain or maybe she was just well-trained in hiding her pain, unlike his ex-wife who had screamed a bunch of profanities at him whenever a contraction came.

"My uterus is gonna be off limits after this Lang.", she said through gritted teeth. "If you want another baby, you can have one on your own."

"Are you sure? Because you look pretty cute balancing the bowl of cereal on your stomach every morning.", he joked and winked cheekily at her. Her pregnancy had been smooth throughout and he thought she looked even more beautiful with the pregnancy glow.

She gave him the death stare and was about to argue when another contraction interrupted their conversation. "Damn it Scott!", she yelled in agony. She wasn't supposed to do that but she couldn't help it. The contractions were coming quick, strong and fast, leaving her no time to rest and catch her breath.

"It'll be over soon.", he kissed her knuckles. All he wanted to do now was to take the pain away from her, but he was helpless.

"When?", she gasped, her eyes narrowed with frustration.

"Soon Hope, soon. Soon you'll be holding our beautiful baby in your arms.", he gazed softly at her, and wiped a drop of sweat near her brow.

She rolled her eyes. "After this, you're not coming anywhere near me again.", she seethed, her mind clouded with pain.

"I'm pretty sure you're going to regret saying that.", he chuckled. He rubbed the small of her back, hoping it would alleviate the pain.

She scowled at him. As the pain seeped away, she felt a tinge of regret for she knew he was trying to keep her distracted with his stupid remarks, and yet she couldn't help but snap at him. "I'm sorry Scott.", she said as the pain of the contraction ceased.

"Hey, it's alright.", he leaned forwards and kissed the corner of her eye. He knew it was the pain tampering her judgement, and it was his fault, well partially, that she was in this state, so it was justifiable.

She smiled a little but bit her lip when the pain came tunnelling through again. This time however, she felt herself involuntarily pushing.

"Alright, it's time to push.", the doctor called from somewhere between her legs.

A sudden wave of horror hit her. "No I can't.", she shook her head. She wasn't sure she could do this right now, fear flickered through her eyes. Another contraction hit, and as much as she didn't want to, she could feel her body pushing. She sobbed slightly. The pain was too much to bear and she wished it could all go away. She could endure bruises and injuries from her fights and mission, but labour pain? It was ten times worse.

He stroked her hair, trying his best to soothe her. "Sure you can. You can do it Hope. You can do anything.", he encouraged her, his gaze locked onto hers.

"I don't think I can be a mother Scott.", she whispered through the pain, trying to catch her breath, looking weary and scared. She was having second doubts and her faith in herself wavered a little. All her life she had never thought of becoming a mother. What if she couldn't take care of the baby? This was a mistake.

"You're going to be a great mother Hope.", he kissed her sweaty temple. He had never seen her this vulnerable. Sure, she had voiced out her concerns along the way, but this was different, he could see that she was truly afraid. And Hope van Dyne was never afraid. "Hey, look at me.", he cupped her cheek. "I know you're afraid, but right now, you need to push, our baby needs you, and I'm gonna be here, we're going to do this together. You can do this.", he said firmly, hoping it would allay her fears.

Hope looked at Scott, and noticed at how he was looking at her lovingly and endearingly, and god, she loves him so much. She grabbed his jaw and pulled him close to her and pressed her soft lips on his, kissing him desperately. He kissed her back, hands holding her cheeks. They broke apart, resting their foreheads on each other. Shortly after, she winced in pain, and moaned lowly when another contraction came by.

"It's time to push.", the doctor called from below.

"Okay.", Scott nodded. "Here we go Hope.", he climbed on the bed and got behind her, letting her lean on him. He curled his fingers around her palms, their fingers intertwined, hoping he would calm her with his touch. The contraction came and even though she was drained, she pushed with all her might, focusing on trying to get the baby out from her, while he rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering words of encouragement into her ear. She felt a little bit better with his warm body surrounding her, knowing he was holding and supporting her.

Not long after, a high-pitch cry filled through the room, and the excruciating pain disappeared. All she saw was the doctor holding a tiny baby in front of her, who was crying loudly. "You did it Hope, you did it! I love you so much.", as he peppered kisses on her face. "I'm so proud of you.", he was ecstatic, as tears pricked his eyes. He was a father again and he couldn't be happier.

The doctor handed the baby over to her and she reached out, her arms shaking from fatigue. "Hey...", she whispered softly, her fingers caressing her daughter's smooth cheeks, her eyes taking in her features. "She's beautiful Scott.", she said with joy, her heart bursting with happiness.

"Just like you.", he grinned from ear to ear, and pressed a kiss on her head.

Suddenly, her worries evaporated into thin air. She kissed the baby's forehead. She could do this.


	11. Meeting The Avengers

"You're ready?", he grinned with excitement, as they stood outside a hallway.

"How bad can it be?", she scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was officially meeting The Avengers, at the New Avengers Facility.

The door slid open, and everybody turned around. "Everybody, this is Hope.", he placed his hand on the small of her back, his face beaming. Hope had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing her casual clothes, consisting of a black leather jacket over a white shirt, with skinny jeans and boots.

"Whoa, what?", Sam Wilson's jaw dropped slightly, stunned by her beauty and stood up from the couch he was lounging.

"Unbelievable.", James Rhodes murmured as he looked up from his tablet.

"Oh my lord, she's beautiful.", Peter Parker whispered.

"That's Scott's partner? Lucky bastard.", James Barnes commented to Steve Rogers, his lips curled up slightly forming a smile.

"Language Bucky. But she is beautiful.", Steve agreed.

"She is dashing.", Bruce Banner turned around and spoke to Thor, who couldn't help but stare and nodded in agreement.

"I heard she's well-trained in martial arts, maybe both of you can have a go at it some time.", Clint Barton nudged at Natasha Romanoff, his face in a lopsided smile.

"I would love to. You guys aren't much of a challenge anyway.", Natasha smirked.

Beside them, Wanda Maximoff and Vision let out a laugh. "More girl power!", Wanda smiled at Vision, her hands wrapped around his arm.

"So you're the Wasp now huh?", Tony Stark walked towards Hope from the bar counter, with Pepper Potts by his side.

"Hi Tony.", the corner of her mouth going up slightly. "It's good to see you again.", and to everyone's surprise, she pulled him close for a hug, and he patted her back, with a smile on his face.

"Wait, you guys know each other?", Scott was looking at the both of them, wide-eyed and confused.

"We were childhood friends.", she replied. Even though their fathers despised each other, their mothers were close friends, who knew each other through Peggy Carter. During their difficult times, they had often kept each other company, but as they grew up, they drifted away, both occupied with their respective family business. "Congratulations on your wedding by the way, you're a lucky man.", she smiled at Pepper.

"Thanks. But you know Hope, I thought you would have a much better taste in men.", Tony remarked sarcastically, winking at her and glanced at Scott.

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean.", Scott put his hands on his hips and shook his head in frustration. To be honest, he didn't like Tony Stark very much after their encounter in the fight at Germany.

"Scott's a great man Tony. My father wouldn't have let him wear the suit if he wasn't.", she stood up for Scott.

"I know Hope, I'm glad you're happy now.", Tony smiled for at her, he was truly happy for her. After everything they had went through, all of them deserve some happiness.

"Thank you.", Scott mouthed at her, his eyes sparkled brightly.

"Hey I'm Sam.", he had dashed in front of Hope, a hand reached out, blocking Scott away. "Also known as The Falcon.", he grinned.

"I know you.", she shook his hand. "You're the guy that Scott beat at this facility.", she smirked.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm usually not in such a bad form.", he grabbed Scott's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Right Scott?"

"That's a bad excuse Sam.", Rhodes had walked to their side, shaking his head while smiling mockingly at him. "Rhodey.", he looked at Hope and nodded his head. "Maybe we could get a drink some time, just to get to know each other, since you're an Avenger now.", he winked.

"Count me in.", Sam added.

"Are you guys seriously asking my girlfriend out in front of me?", Scott questioned, frowning, as he flung his arms around their shoulders, squeezing them hardly.

"Yes we are.", they replied in unison.

Scott looked at them with disbelief.

Hope narrowed her eyes, an eyebrow arched, with a thin smile on her face, entertained by their banter. "Maybe someday.", she replied. She wanted to test Scott's reaction.

"What? Uh huh. No. Not without me.", Scott held out his finger and signalled no.

"Come on tic tac, you didn't tell me you had scored such a babe...", Sam muttered in his ear, patting his chest.

"I wouldn't have if I had known what you guys were gonna do.", he replied, clearly annoyed.

Sam and Rhodes chuckled away.

"I thought you said she was your partner Scott, you didn't mention girlfriend, so I simply assumed she's just your mission partner.", Barnes sauntered over. "Nice to meet you ma'am.", he shot her a provocative glance, and held out his hand.

"Yeah, well. We're not only that kind of partners.", Scott mumbled.

"I'm...", Barnes was about to introduce himself, but was cut off by Hope.

"You're the Winter Soldier.", she observed his metal arm.

"I prefer not to be known by that.", he commented, while she thought it was a handshake, Barnes had gently took her hand and kissed it instead, bowing a little.

"Like a true gentleman Barnes.", Scott rolled his eyes. "You do know that she can break your arm.", he quipped.

"I wouldn't mind.", he smirked mischievously and let go of her hand.

"Stop flirting with her.", Scott huffed out in frustration.

"You know, he's right. About the breaking your arm part.", Hope remarked. She glanced at Scott and bit her lip, stifling a laugh as she observed Scott's annoyed expression. She didn't expect this meeting to be this fun.

"You should probably stop flirting Bucky. Don't want Scott to go Giant-Man on you.", Steve let out a laugh, putting his hand on Barnes' shoulder.

"It's alright. I'll spare myself.", Barnes put up his hands in surrender.

Scott quickly scooted to Hope's side, and curled his fingers around her hand protectively. She laughed as she was enjoying his reaction and she never expected him to be this jealous or protective. "So this is Cap huh?", she simpered at him, her forehead raised as she nudged him.

"Yes he is.", a goofy smile blossomed on his face. He was most excited for her to meet Captain America. "He's awesome."

"Hi Hope. Scott's told me all about you.", Steve smiled warmly, and gave her a firm handshake.

"Really?", she blushed slightly. She could see why Scott had a fanboy crush on him. He was definitely handsome, but he exuded a charismatic, warm and humble personality. Not to mention, aunt Peggy used to tell her stories about their adventures together.

"He said you're a brilliant scientist and fighter. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Hope looked at Scott, trying to keep herself from blushing too much. "I used to know Peggy, well she was aunt Peggy to me. It feels unreal that I'm meeting you now. She used to tell me stories about you. And she loved you, you know..."

Steve was surprised but a tinge of sadness flickered in his eyes. However, he was glad that now he knew another acquaintance of Peggy, it comforted him. "She was a great agent. Even during that time, she always stood up for what she believed in.", his tone full of admiration. She was his source of inspiration.

"Well, if it's any consolation, Cap here is dating her niece.", Natasha had overheard their conversation.

"So you have an affinity for the Carter family.", Hope laughed.

A faint blush crept on his face, and he awkwardly ran his hand through his hair.

"Maybe one day we could train together.", Natasha offered.

"That would be great for a change. I'm getting bored of only training with Scott.", she joked.

"What? You could have told me Hope. I would have up my game by not letting you win every time.", Scott looked at her, faking disappointment.

"Really?", Hope raised a brow, judging him.

"Can I be there when you guys spar?", Clint raised his hand, grinning.

"Hey! You're married!", Scott lightly punched his chest.

"He's married but I'm not.", Bruce revealed a dopey smile.

"Not you too Banner.", Scott placed a palm on his face.

"Not to worry Scott, he's only there for Natasha.", Thor interrupted. "I'm Thor, this is Bruce, he's way friendlier than The Hulk. May I add though, you're beautiful. Scott's a lucky guy.", he complimented her.

"What can I say. I have good taste.", Scott grinned. Hope rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder.

"So you not only can shrink, but you can fly too?", Peter looked at Hope, his eyes full of wonder.

"Yes I can. You must be Peter Parker, the youngest Avenger.", Hope smiled at him.

"That's so cool. I'm a big fan of your father by the way. Please don't tell Mr Stark that.", he whispered in her ear.

"It will be our secret.", she promised.

"What did you guys say?", Tony thought he had heard his name.

"It's nothing.", Peter was quick to reply.

He squinted his eyes suspiciously but he turned to Hope and smiled, "Welcome to The Avengers Hope."

"Things definitely didn't turn out as I thought it would be.", Scott mumbled, frowning, while holding a glass shot of whiskey in his hand.

Hope was casually seated on top of the bar counter, facing him. "How did you think it would turn out? They love me.", she chuckled, she could clearly see that he was jealous. She had never seen this side of him before, and it was cute. "Are you jealous?", she frowned, although her eyes were reflecting the opposite, as they brightened with a tease and her lips curled up, breaking into a smile.

"What? Jealous? Me?", he dramatically pointed a finger to himself.

She let out a laugh.

"I just don't like the guys fawning over you.", he looked at her, his expression solemn as he placed the glass on the bar counter.

"You're silly.", she shook her head slightly, still smiling.

"I'm silly for being jealous?", there, he admitted it.

"They were obviously teasing Scott. I thought of all the people, you would know that.", she took his hands in hers, and pulled him closer.

"I know they don't mean it. But I just get hot and bothered when they flirt with you.", he tilted his head slightly, smiling a little, thumbs gentle stroking her hands. "I mean, come on, wouldn't you be jealous if Natasha or Wanda comes flirting with me?"

She hesitated, contemplating the question.

"Seriously, it's taking that long for you to answer?"

She giggled. "I would be. But then they probably wouldn't. You're not their type."

"But I'm your type?", he grinned cheekily.

"Not really.", she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "You hated me. But don't think I didn't catch you checking me out a few times while I was shirtless.", his grin turned into a smirk. He could still clearly remember the days when she trained him to become Ant-Man. He thought she was going to kill him before he even made it.

"I did not.", she denied, but she was lying. She had despised him from the beginning, and it did not even occur to her that she would be attracted to him later on, although he does look quite hot shirtless, something she would never tell him.

"Don't be coy."

She smiled shyly. "Scott?"

"Yeah?"

"I love it when you get jealous though.", she leaned forwards and whispered in his ear, her arms slid up around his neck.

"Does that mean I need to get jealous more often?", he smiled as he pressed a kiss on her neck, which sent shivers to her whole body.

She smiled broadly, and gently kissed him on the lips. He smiled into the kiss, and kissed her back.

"Get a room you two!", Sam yelled from behind.

They ignored him, without a care in the world.


	12. Taco Truck

It had been a few days since his release from house arrest and Scott Lang had never appreciated his freedom as much as before this, apart from the three years he had spent in prison. He had went over to his ex-wife's house the first thing in the morning and had spent an enormous amount of time with Cassie outside the confines of a closed space. Still, at the back of his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about Hope. He was sure that the Pym-Van Dyne family will be having a celebratory family reunion and he didn't want to intrude, therefore, he thought he should give her some space and time before contacting her.

He woke up bleary-eyed, partially exhausted after this long outings with his daughter, awoken up by the rays of sunlight that had streamed through the curtains. He flipped over and laid on his stomach, his mind wandering to Hope, once again. For the past two years, he had missed having her by his side, missed waking up next to her, missed her kisses, her soft touches, he had missed everything about her, and their recent reunion had reignited the old flame between them. He was certain her feelings were mutual too, judging by the way she had kissed him on the docks, even though he was nearly hypoxic, he was still able to appreciate her soft lips on his.

He inhaled deeply, determined to muster up the courage to ask her out. She and her family were still on the run, but things had toned down a little after his release from house arrest, and he figured out that they could meet discreetly. He was about to reach out for his handphone on the bedside table when it vibrated. To his surprise, it was a message from Hope. His eyes widened, and he sat up on his bed, his sleepiness disappearing instantly.

 _Hey Scott._

 _Hey. I was just thinking about you._ Without hesitation, he pressed send, though he immediately regretted it, hoping it wouldn't scare her away.

On the other side, Hope was sitting at the dining table in her house, staring at her phone screen, smiling at his reply.

 _Really?_ To be honest, she couldn't keep him off her mind too, and for the past few days, she had been struggling with dealing about her feelings for him. Seeing him in person again, she realised her anger towards him had slowly dissipated, she couldn't stay angry around him for very long and was replaced by a sense of longing and affection instead.

 _I was just going to ask you out._ He decided to try his luck.

 _Maybe we could meet up?_ She was straightforward.

They received the messages at the same time. He jumped on the bed, his smile expanding into a gleeful grin, while her smile deepened, her dark green eyes brightened. He waited for her reply with bated breath.

 _Sure. Where?_ She replied.

 _What about that favourite taco food truck of yours?_ I know they're still around there. He had brought her there for their first date as she had asked him to surprise her. Frankly, it was because he simply couldn't afford a fancy lunch back then but he also wanted to be unconventional, in his own way. Deep down, he knew she wouldn't mind because even though she was born wealthy and privileged, she wasn't materialistic and snobbish.

 _I seem to recall that they're actually your favourite Scott._ How could she forget their first date where they had sat on a bench by the roadside eating tacos, while he was making her smile and laugh the whole time by being himself. It made her realised that one of the many things she loved about him was, him being able to stay true to himself. Even though he seemed like a goofball on the surface, she knew he was unpretentious, modest and intelligent. He didn't have to try too hard to impress her because she was already falling for his genuine self.

 _It became your favourite too._ He could still remember the way he had made her laugh, and how he couldn't stop staring because he was mesmerised by her. At that time, she was starting to let loose after reconciling with father, and most importantly, she was letting her walls down because of him. She rarely laughed when he had met her and suddenly, it hit him at that time that all he ever wanted to do was to make her happy. They had returned to the taco truck several times after their first date.

Though still wearing a smile on her face, she rolled her eyes. _I'll see you there then._

 _Deal._

And so there they were, at the taco food truck, waiting in line for tacos. They had greeted each other with a simple hello, and were now standing side by side in silence, shoulders lightly brushing against each other, their hands so close they could feel their little fingers grazing each other. It was the first time they were both truly alone together, as their previous encounter were amidst chaos and other people.

"How's Janet doing? She's adapting well?", he turned to a look at her, smiling a little, breaking the silence.

"Mom's fine. She's amazed at how far technology has come and dad's been updating her about the progress and advancements of his research and our suits. We're just spending time together as a family. Everything's great.", she explained enthusiastically, her eyes sparkled with excitement. They were making up for lost time and she was glad to have both of her parents by her side once again.

"That's great! I'm glad that things worked out well in the end.", he gazed softly at her. He felt contented knowing she was happy.

"I'm glad too.", she beamed.

"Your orders please?", they were interrupted by the vendor.

"Right. One crunchy taco supreme for the lady please and one soft taco supreme with double cheese for me. Take away. That right?", he grinned and winked at Hope.

Her mouth curved into a small grin, touched. "You remember."

"Of course I do.", he would never forget her favourite things.

"Here you go!", the vendor handed over a paper bag to Hope.

"Let me get it.", she was about to pay but was stopped by Scott.

"Hey, no, it's on me, I insist.", he refused.

They turned away from the taco truck and walked down a flight of stairs. "You know, I never got to say thank you, for helping us...", she glanced appreciatively at him. Without him, they probably wouldn't have been able to save her mother from the Quantum Realm.

"It's no big deal, it's the least I could do, after my screw up...", he paused and cleared his throat, he gave her a sideway glance, hoping to catch her reaction.

She just looked at him, slightly tight-lipped, expression masked. Occasionally, when they were together, it was hard to gauge her response or feelings but as he got to know her better, he was familiar with her facial expressions and body language. She was contemplating his statement. "Whatever happened, happened Scott. It's in the past now and you paid the price."

"I wouldn't have done it if the price included losing you.", he blurted out impulsively, but honest.

"You didn't lose me. I wouldn't be here if you did.", she stated plainly as she looked at him affectionately, a thin, shy smile blossoming on her face. To be honest, it didn't help that for the past two years of his house arrest, she had been secretly keeping tabs on him, which had only made her miss him more.

He was slightly taken aback by her reply, he didn't know what to say, so he just gazed at her endearingly. "I'm famished. Shall we eat?", he clapped his hands together, and walked towards a bench, while motioning for her to come over.

"You sound like you haven't eaten for days.", she laughed and sat next to him.

"I had a lot of ice-cream.", he half-joked, which was partially true. He took the paper bag from her and unwrapped her taco, taking a bite before handing it to her.

"Hey! That's mine!", she glared at him and smacked his shoulder.

He flashed a goofy smile. "Sorry. Habit.", he quipped with his mouth full.

"Some things never change.", she smirked.

They ate their tacos in silence, soaking in the warm sun, and enjoying each other's company. It had been a while since they were so carefree. It reminded them of old times. Occasionally, he stole glances at her, looking at her side profile, hoping she wouldn't notice. "You've got a little bit of mayo there...", he stared at her and pointed at her upper lip.

"What?", she turned to him.

"Hold still." His gaze fell on her lips, and he lightly bit his lip, resisting the urge to kiss her there and then. Still, without a thought, he leaned forwards, reached his hand out and gently wiped the smudge off with his thumb. "There, all gone.", he smiled warmly.

She looked at him, and her eyes shone with fondness. He was always so gentle with her. "Thanks.", she mumbled.

They stared at each other tenderly for a few seconds, tension rising. For some reason, they still gave each other butterflies.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Maybe we could hang out again, some time, maybe with Cassie?", he asked carefully. "She misses you." I miss you, he wanted to say.

"I would love to.", she replied without hesitation.

"Great!"

She cleared up the empty wrappers and placed them in the paper bag. "I'll better get going. Thanks for the lunch Scott.", she smiled softly and stood up.

"Hey Hope...", he lightly grabbed her hand, as he stood up abruptly and pulled her towards him. She turned around, slightly surprised by his touch. They were facing each other now, both of their faces only inches away that they could feel each other's breath. Their eyes meet, his stare intense, and quickly, she looked away and gazed downwards. He tilted forwards, and closed the distance between them, the tips of their noses slightly touching. He took it as a good sign when she didn't move backwards. Feeling braver, he cupped her cheek, and gently caressed it with his thumb. She bit her lip, hesitant, while he dipped his head, their lips almost touching. He couldn't withstand the desire to kiss her, and so he did, as he softly pressed his lips against hers. She reciprocated immediately, her lips parted slightly as their kiss deepened, and she melted into his body, her hands running up his hair, as his other hand slid around her waist, his grip on her tightened. They pulled apart after a moment, both taking in shaky, shallow breaths.

"Let me take you home?", he grinned widely and stroked her hair.

"Sure.", she nodded, still feeling exhilarated from the kiss.

And so, he took her hand in his, and together they walked towards her car.


	13. Cookie Duster

_Future fic! When their daughter disapproves of Scott's clean-shaven look._

He woke up feeling cold, his face buried deep into the soft pillow, his eyes still closed. His first instinct wasn't to grab the covers that was strewn halfway across his body, instead, his hand had stretched out to his side, searching for a familiar warmth but was greeted by the same coldness. He could hear the sound of a running shower from the bathroom, he frowned, and opened his heavy eyes with slight difficulty, and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. He sighed and climbed out from bed, his palms rubbing his face to wake himself up, as he headed towards the bathroom. "Morning!", he greeted loudly as he stepped into the bathroom, his lips curving up into a small smile. He grabbed a clean towel and wrapped it around his waist.

"Morning!", a muffled sound echoed from inside the shower. "I bought you a new shaver."

"What? You don't like my beard?", he hollered back, as he observed his face in the mirror. For the past few months, he had been growing a beard. It was a silly challenge with Luis, they were competing against each other, comparing who could outlast who without shaving the beard off and finally his best friend had caved in yesterday, leaving Scott the winner. His beard was bushy and it covered half of his face, making him look older than he really was.

The sound of the shower stopped, and Hope peeked out. "I think it's time you graduated from the beard Scott.", she frowned slightly. It was too much for her liking. "Could you please pass me the towel?"

"Come on, you can come out, it's only me.", he turned to look at her, who was looking all pink and sweet-smelling from the shower. God, she's beautiful. They had been married for a few years, and yet he couldn't stop marvelling at her beauty. "It's not like I've never seen you without any clothes on before.", he mischievously wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She glared at him, her lips pursed.

Not wanting to suffer from her wrath, he kept his mouth shut and did as he was told, but not before wrapping his arms around her waist, a goofy smile plastered on his face. She couldn't help but giggle as he dipped his head down slightly and gave her a kiss. Her slightly parted lips met his, and she kissed him back. He responded passionately, inhaling in her shampoo and shower cream while she knotted her fists at the towel around his waist, pulling him harder against her. He was about to take his towel off when she pulled away from him, and patted his cheek. "You really need to shave. It's getting in the way.", she bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. "And thanks.", she took the towel from him and gave him a flirtatious glance, wrapped herself in it and walked out the bathroom.

He looked at her with disbelief. She was such a tease.

"Scott?", she called out to him from the bedroom.

"Yeah?", once again, he had turned to the mirror, ready to shave.

"When you're done can you please check on Hailey? She was still asleep when I saw her."

"Sure. I'll get her."

"Is dad finally going to shave his beard?", Cassie asked as soon as she saw Hope entering the kitchen. She was standing in front of the stove, pouring batter into a pan, making pancakes for breakfast. It was the summer break, and she had come to stay with her father and Hope for the week.

"Yes he's in the process of doing that, hopefully.", a laugh escaped from Hope, as she walked to her stepdaughter's side and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Honestly, he looks like a homeless man with the beard.", the younger girl giggled.

"I couldn't agree more. And it's getting uncomfortable when we kiss-", she stopped herself halfway, a pink blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Hope!", Cassie gasped, disgusted. She didn't really need to know the details.

She laughed, ignoring the young girl's reaction. "You need help?"

"No I got it.", her face blossomed into a wide smile, resembling her father's, as she skilfully flipped over a pancake on the pan.

"You're good at this.", she was impressed.

"It's just practice, especially when you have a dad who loves pancakes.", she remarked. She remembered the times when she and her father would make pancakes together every time she came over.

Hope wrapped her arm around Cassie's shoulder, and lightly kissed the side of her hair. "Thank you so much for making breakfast sweetheart. You've been a great help this week." A few days ago, she and Scott were away for a mission and they had left their daughter under Cassie and Maggie's care. She was amazed at how fast Cassie had grown into a beautiful young lady over the past five years. She remembered that she used to have to bend over to kiss her head and now her stepdaughter was almost as tall as her.

"It's no big deal. It's always great to spend time with Hailey.", she loved her little sister to bits. "What's taking dad so long anyway?"

"I told him to get Hailey, she should be up by now."

"Hey cookie.", he cooed as he stepped inside the bedroom. Their eleven month old daughter was already sitting up in her cot, babbling on her own. She had beautiful clear green eyes just like her parents, but what he loved the most was that she had inherited her mother's dimples, which delighted Scott when he noticed it the day she was born. "Good morning.", he carried her out from the cot and kissed her cheek. She took one look at him, thoroughly confused, and without a warning, her face had scrunched up and she started to cry. "Hey, what's wrong? It's daddy...", he was perplexed at her behaviour. "Come on cookie, don't cry.", he stroked her hair gently as he tried to comfort her. She shook her head and continued to cry, big fat tears trailed down her pink cheeks, her chubby hands flailing, trying to push his face away.

Her cries had echoed downstairs. Hope and Cassie looked at each other, puzzled. "What in the world...", Hope mumbled and walked towards the bottom of the staircase. "Is everything alright Scott?", she yelled from below. Their daughter rarely had such cries. In fact, they felt that she was an easy baby to care of, only crying when she needed to nurse.

He came out from the room, with his struggling, wailing daughter in his arms, and walked down the stairs. "Everything's under control?", he shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"What did you do?", she narrowed her eyes, her eyebrows raised, judgemental.

"I didn't do anything. She saw me and started crying!", his eyes widened innocently, and that's when it struck him, his daughter might have not recognise him without his beard. Hope frowned, staring at Scott, and she realised that he was clean-shaven, his cheeks pink and soft, looking a few years younger. Suddenly, she erupted with laughter, making sense of the hilarious situation. "Are you seriously laughing right now?", he rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed, their daughter still moving violently in his arms. She had now resolved to sobs, her face smudged with tears and red from crying. As soon as she saw Hope, she started to babble and extend her hands out immediately, wanting her mother's embrace.

"Come here.", her expression gentle as she took her from Scott's arms and cuddled her. "It's alright, it's just daddy.", she gently wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead. She walked to the kitchen, holding Hailey close to her, with her husband following closely behind.

Cassie, who had just finished making breakfast had turned around and glanced at her father who was looking solemn, walking in the kitchen. "Dad! You look so much better now!", she exclaimed.

"Thanks peanut. But your little sister thinks otherwise.", he touched his now smooth face.

"What? Why?"

"You'll see why.", Hope smirked and looked at Hailey. She sat down on stool at the kitchen table. "It's just daddy sweetheart. You know it's him.", she murmured to her softly, caressing her cheek. Hailey looked at her, and smiled a little and babbled, comforted by her mother's touch. Scott slumped on the stool next to his wife, looking gloomy. Still not wanting to give up, he nuzzled close to his daughter but she pushed his cheek away again. A faint flicker of hurt reflected in his eyes. "I'm hurt cookie, how can you do this to daddy?", he pouted, and looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes.

"Oh." Realising the situation, Cassie burst into a fit of giggles. "She doesn't like you without the beard dad.", she covered her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing too much.

"Thank you for stating the obvious peanut.", he replied, slightly frustrated. "I don't recall you having any problem with me shaving my beard off back then.", he sighed.

Hope chuckled. "Who's this strange man with your daddy's voice?", she whispered to her daughter and glanced at Scott, clearly teasing him.

"Not funny.", he commented and held his daughter's hand and kissed it. "It's daddy. I'm your favourite.", he reached his hands out, wanting to carry her. She just cling on to her mother, refusing to let go. Her sobs had stopped and now she had buried her head into Hope's shoulder, occasionally taking a peek at her father. "I know you're looking at me.", he tickled her cheek, his face a lopsided smile. She turned away.

Hope couldn't help but laughed again. "This is silly.", she shook her head, amused with her daughter's behaviour and Scott's reaction.

"Here's something to cheer you up dad.", Cassie was still grinning away, as she placed a plate of pancakes in front of him, covered with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and blueberries.

"Thanks.", he smiled. He poked a blueberry with a fork, when Hailey turned to look at him again. "Blueberry? I know they're your favourite.", he offered. Her gaze went from him, and fell onto the plate of pancakes. "You're hungry aren't you?", he cooed at her while he dangled a smashed blueberry in front of her, tempting her. He popped it into his mouth. She stared at him, her tongue slightly licking her lips, as she put her fist into her mouth.

"I think someone's hungry.", Hope smiled. "Why don't you ask daddy for a blueberry?", she whispered to her daughter.

Once again, Scott held out a blueberry in front of her, luring her. Her green eyes twinkled brightly, she hesitated initially, but eventually she stretched out her hand, grabbing the blueberry and putting it inside her mouth. She looked at her father again, wanting more. "Why don't you let me carry you first, before I feed you some more?", he bopped her nose, and proceeded to tickle her. She giggled, warming up to him, her demeanour relaxed. "Come here cookie.", he clapped his hands, and reached his hands out, grabbing her torso and taking her from Hope's arms into his. He placed her on his lap and kissed her cheek. "See, daddy's cheeks are so soft now.", he kissed her again. She continued to giggle and grabbed his face, while he took her hands in his, rubbing her palms on his face.

Hope beamed, as she observed their heartwarming interaction endearingly. She wouldn't trade this happiness for the world. "See, nothing to worry about.", she leaned forwards, intending to kiss the side of his head, but he had tilted his head to face her, her kiss landing on his lips instead.

"I knew she would come around.", his tone cocky. "Right? Right? You love me, don't you. Daddy's your favourite.", he kissed Hailey's hair while she was focused at picking the blueberries with her hands.

Hope laughed at his child-like behaviour. "You're my favourite too.", she looked at him lovingly.

"Maybe the two of you can stop being lovey dovey in front of me.", Cassie spoke out, squinting her eyes.

"You sound like Hank, peanut. Don't you want a kiss too? I know you do. Come here.", he motioned for her to come over.

"No I don't dad. I'm fifteen years old, when are you going to stop calling me peanut?", she argued.

"I will never stop calling you peanut, no matter how old you are.", he stated plainly.

"Dad...", she whined.

Hope looked at her family fondly, smiling broadly from ear to ear, forever grateful that her father had brought Scott into their lives.


	14. Mending Hearts

It was nightfall as Hope laid on the comfort of her own bed, in her childhood bedroom. After abandoning their house as it was searched by the FBI, her father had miraculously and secretly shrank their house, and now their house was placed by a remote, secluded beach side. She was unable to fall asleep, after the chaotic events in the past two days, adrenaline still coursing through her body. She spent the whole day catching up with her mother, sharing stories with each other, while her father sat by their side the entire time, contented with having his whole family back. But now as she lay awake, her mind drifted towards Scott, the man who she had not seen for the past two years but who had never left her heart. Suddenly, she wanted to see him, desperately and badly. She turned to her side, covered a pillow over her head and let out a loud sigh.

They had parted ways hastily after the events that had happened. Him, back to his house before the FBI arrived, and her, back on the run again with her parents. It bothered her that they never got to say goodbye properly and she wondered if he had managed to get home in time. Once again, she delved into her feelings for him, thinking long and hard. When she had found out about his little adventure in Germany, all she felt was an array of emotions. She was furious that he took the suit without her knowledge, furious that he acted impulsively and irrationally, but at the same time, she was more upset and disappointed that it didn't cross his mind to ask her to be his partner in the fight, that he didn't think about her or even his daughter. At that time, he was already imprisoned at The Raft, sorting out the terms and conditions with the national security for his release while she was already on the run with her father, building up protective walls again, pushing aside any romantic feelings that she had felt for him.

After two years of radio silence, receiving the emergency phone call from him had been unexpected, and had thrown her emotions off balance once again. Seeing him in person, had only confirmed her affection for him, that she had genuinely missed him. Overwhelmed with her emotional turmoil, she sat up on her bed abruptly, the desire to see him right now burning within her. And so she put on her suit, and flew off into the darkness, heading towards his house.

The lights were still on in his bedroom as she landed on the window sill, so she stood there, observing him. He was standing in front of the mirror, half-naked, inspecting his injuries. There was a cut at the side of his right chest that he had sustained during his fight with Ava. He turned around, his eyes sweeping through the bruises that were now forming on his back, and she noticed a long scar near his shoulder blade, a scar she had never seen before. She was however, relieved that his ankle monitor had been taken off. She flew in the room, and with the press of a button, she grew back to her normal size. "Hey. You need help there?"

"Jesus! Hope!", he exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his skin as he heard the mechanical whirring of her suit turning back to size and her voice. He turned around to look at her. "You scared the shit out of me.", his eyes widened with fright.

"Sorry.", she apologised and shrugged her shoulders, she bit her lip as she smiled sheepishly.

He smiled, his composure relaxed as he stared at her, her presence giving him a sense of comfort. His gaze fell on her temple where a bruise was starting to form. "Are you okay?", he voiced his concern as he scurried to her side, squinting his eyes and gently held her chin, tilting her face sideways, examining her injury. His gesture so natural that she was surprised that she didn't flinch at his touch.

"I'm fine. It's just a bruise.", she brushed it off, although moved by his concern. To be honest, she was starting to feel the aches and pains from the fight, but she had spent some time examining herself for injuries in the shower, and it was nothing she couldn't handle.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?", he scanned through her but it was hard to figure out while she was in her suit. It had been a rough two days. It scared him to death when she almost got knocked over by the Quantum vessel during her fight with Ava and he couldn't bear to think of the consequences if it really did. "Maybe you should take the suit off so I could have a better look...", he trailed off as he noticed she was staring at him suspiciously, eyebrows raised. "No, no, that's not what I mean, I mean maybe I could help to tend to your injuries, if you let me.", he gestured frantically, explaining his intentions.

"Scott, relax, I'm fine. Really.", she calmed him down.

"Why are you here? Is everything okay?", he was worried at her suddenly showing up at his place.

"I just wanted to see you.", she replied softly. She just wanted to make sure he was alright.

"Oh.", a lopsided smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I...I miss you too.", he stammered.

A smile blossomed on her face, her green eyes looking at him affectionately, while she rubbed her hand at the side of her neck, not knowing what to say. She diverted her gaze, taking in his lean chest that had a few patches of darkening bruises, and the cut that wasn't actively bleeding. She moved closer, fingertips grazing his injuries, while he stood frozen, slightly surprised by her touch. She turned her attention to his back, to the scar near his shoulder blade.

"Where did you get this?", she whispered, her fingers gently trailing the length of the scar.

"When I was at Germany...", he paused quickly, realising it was a sensitive topic. Immediately, he felt awful that he had betrayed her. He couldn't see her expression, but he imagined her staring daggers at him. He waited for her reply, but she didn't say a thing. Instead, she frowned, tight-lipped, expression pained, wishing she could have been there for him despite being angry at him.

She turned to face him again. "I think you need more help than I do. That, need stitches.", she pointed to the cut.

"It'll heal.", he disregarded it.

"It's deep. It'll get infected.

He was about to open his mouth to argue but she cut him off. "Just go to the bed Scott. I'll get the first-aid kit.", she walked away from him and searched through the cupboard, still familiar with the surroundings in his room. She walked back to him, with the first-aid kit in hand, and placed it on the edge of the bed. Figuring it would be impractical to be in her suit the whole time, she decided to take her suit off.

"What are you doing?", he looked at her with shock and averted his gaze away from her quickly.

"I'm just taking my suit off.", she stated nonchalantly, while she stripped off her suit, leaving her in a simple tank top and a pair of workout pants. He took in the sight of her, reminding him of the workout clothes that she used to wear every time they trained together. God, she still looked so sexy. She kept her suit in the necklace that she always wore around her neck. She turned her attention to him and caught him staring at her intensely. "Are you checking me out?", she teased.

"It's been a while since I've seen you in those.", he grinned. He always enjoyed flirting with her.

She just shook her head and let out a short laugh, not minding one bit that he was looking at her. "I think it's better if you lie down.", she instructed.

He did as he was told and laid down on the bed with a thump, making himself comfortable.

"It might sting a little.", as she dabbed the wound with a gauze that was soaked with a saline solution.

"Bearable.", he shrugged it off.

"Good. Because this might hurt.", she took out a fine surgical suture from a suture kit and looked at him.

He cringed slightly at the sight of the needle. "Where did you get that? That's definitely not in the first-aid kit.", he questioned.

"When you're on the run Scott, you need certain medical supplies because we can't go to a hospital if we get hurt.", she commented sarcastically.

"Right. And you carried it along with you all the time?", he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"I figured it might come in handy.", she quipped, delighted at her own instincts. He was still staring at the needle, with a fearful expression on his face.

"Are you afraid of needles Scott?", she peered at him.

"I might be." He hated needles since he was a child, injections specifically. He still remembered when he had to take Cassie for her immunisations and he would flinch slightly at the sight of the injection while faking a brave face.

She chuckled. "Don't move or I might stab you at the wrong place.", she joked.

"Hope!", he whined, but she had already started to place the first suture in. He took a peek at the cut and winced a little. "Shit, it stings.", he complained. The cut was deeper than he thought.

"You're like a princess.", she snorted as she continued to suture the wound with full concentration. He kept his mouth shut and turned his gaze to Hope instead for distraction, eyes flicking through her delicate features, taking in her face that he had come to love so much. A heavy silence filled the room while she continued to work on him.

"Did you really kiss me on the docks or were you just giving me breathing support?", he jokingly asked, breaking the silence.

Upon hearing his question, she froze briefly before resuming again. He remembered. "Well, if you can't tell the difference then why does it matter Scott.", she replied snarkily.

"It matters to me. Your kiss I mean.", his reply was serious as he looked at her softly.

She had just finished the last stitch and she tilted her head up, meeting his gaze. She inhaled deeply, ready to speak her mind. "The honest truth is, I was afraid of losing you again.", she confessed. "I've already lose you once, I can't deal with it again. It hurts.", she sighed as tears pricked her eyes. She blinked back the tears, she wasn't going to cry in front of him. "And yes it was a kiss.", she muttered, while she kept away the first-aid kit and put it under the bed.

"Hey.", he sat up abruptly, and cupped her cheek, noticing the glistening tears in her beautiful green eyes as he gently caressed her pink cheek with his thumb. "I'm here. And I'm just grateful that you're here with me. It means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me Hope.", he pulled her into his arms, letting her head rest on his chest, the warmth of his embrace and the sound of his heart beat comforted her. "I know I've done some wrong things in the past, but let me make it up to you. I promise I will never make you feel hurt again.", he hugged her and planted a kissed on her head.

"You'd better, because if not, I'm going to make you work for it.", she looked up at him.

A small smile appeared on his face. "I would do anything for you." It was true. She looked at him tenderly, while he leaned forwards, closing the distance between their faces and kissed her on the mouth with fervour.

She placed her head on his chest again, her fingers drawing comforting circles on his chest. "Does it hurt?", she asked.

"Not when you're with me.", he cuddled her tightly, another hand stroking her hair as his eyes start to droop, the feeling of exhaustion taking over him. Her mouth curled upwards forming a smile, while she closed her eyes, fatigue starting to wash over her, as she relaxed and vaguely hearing him murmur 'I love you Hope', before she fell asleep in his arms.

She woke up, startled, awaken by his alarm clock. She opened her eyes lazily, as she turned to her side, her hand stretched out searching for the offending object on the bedside table and managed to switch it off. She flipped to the other side, opening her eyes fully, hoping to see Scott, but the bed was empty.

"Scott?", she called out but was met with silence. She climbed out from the bed, stood up and stretched. Suddenly, a hand shot out from under the bed and it grabbed her ankle. "What the hell!", she yelled and jumped, reacting immediately, her martial arts reflexes kicking in, almost kicking off the hand when Scott popped out from under the bed.

"Gotcha!", he cackled.

"Scott! I could have killed you!", she glared at him, tempted to kick him. "Did you actually wake up early and hide under the bed just to scare me?", she questioned. God, she was in love with a child.

"Yes I did! Set and alarm and everything!", he replied as a silly grin appeared on his face.

"It's like dating a ten-year-old.", she rolled her eyes.

"God I hope not. But you would still love me anyway.", he mischievously winked at her. The truth is, he wanted to make her happy by being his goofy self.

She couldn't help but smile, her dimples deepening. She knelt down on the floor, and gave him a kiss. She was about to stand up but he held her wrist, lightly pulling her back. "Don't go. We could lie in bed all day and do nothing.", he suggested, grinning.

She lightly shook her head, smiling at his suggestion. She got on the floor again, one leg swinging over him, and sat on his torso, careful not to touch his wound, her thighs wrapping the sides of his body. His face lit up with excitement, as he slid both of his hands up, holding her hips. She leaned forwards, placed her palms on his bare chest, and pressed a kiss on his lips again. "But you're on the floor Scott.", she whispered in his ear, her hot breath tickling him. She slapped his chest and got up, turned around and glanced at him playfully.

He hastily scrambled up from the floor, swiftly wrapping his arms around her waist, twirling her over so that she was now facing him. "Now where were we?", his voice deep and raspy. She giggled as he lightly guided her backwards to the bed, his strong hands supporting her back, and they landed on the bed with a light thud. Her giggles had now transformed into unintelligible noises as they kissed passionately and fiercely, their bodies melting into each other, their hands roaming around forbidden places, sending shivers of pleasure to each other.

His naked body spooned perfectly around the small curve of her back and bottom, his arm curled around her waist, as they laid on the messy sheets, their sweaty skin cooling off in the morning air. He placed lingering kisses on the back of her neck, her back and upper arm, her eyes closed, enjoying his touches.

"I need to go.", she murmured lazily.

"So soon?"

"I didn't tell my parents that I was coming to see you.", she fiddled with his fingers.

"So rebellious.", he smirked, pressing another kiss on her shoulder. "I feel like we're teenagers in love."

She let out a laugh and turned around, while he laid on his back at the same time, as she settled herself comfortably on his chest, her arm hugging his upper body, his hand gently toying with the ends of her long, soft, dark hair. She wanted this moment to last, but they were still on the run, and her parents would be worried if she didn't turn up soon. "I'll see you soon?", she smiled as she got up and kissed his shoulder, and climbed out from the bed.

"Hey.", he rose up on his knees and crawled to her, gently pulling her wrist towards him, as he leaned forwards and kissed her again. "Definitely.", he smiled at her, and watched her put her clothes on and lastly her suit. She closed her helmet, shrank and flew away through the window, leaving him lying on the bed, as he flipped over and laid on his stomach, taking in her lingering scent on the bedsheets.


	15. Mission

"The facility is heavily guarded. Your mission is to get in undetected, grab the vial and get out as fast as possible.", Hank explained, his expression solemn. The three of them were seated at the back of the van, getting ready for the mission. After defeating Yellow Jacket, they had realised that Mitchell Carson, the ex Head of Defence at SHIELD had stolen the vial containing the particles for Darren Cross' shrinking technology. Hank Pym was afraid it would fall into the wrong hands, so after a few months of tracking him down, they had finally locked down on his position. They had obtained the floor plan of the facility with the help of the ants that Hank had sent spying and monitoring the building. He had made sure that Scott and Hope had it fully memorised before the mission.

"Hope, you're ready?", Scott asked, grinning, his eyes shining with excitement. He had anticipated this moment for the longest time, ever since they had been working together to develop Hope's new suit, finally able to partner up with her in a mission. Their relationship had evolved into more than just partners, ever since realising the mutual attraction they had for each other.

"I'm always ready.", she glanced at him, brimming with confidence.

A lopsided smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, always in awe with her poise.

"Hope, be careful.", Hank stressed again. He had the same usual masked facies, but deep down, he was nervous. It was difficult to let go of his only daughter into a battle he once knew, he would forever be worried for her safety as a father.

"I will be dad. It'll be fine.", she held her father's hand, lightly squeezing it, reassuring him.

"Don't worry Hank, I got her back.", Scott winked at Hope playfully, making her smile in reply.

"More like she got yours.", Hank retorted.

"I won't deny it. But do give me some credit Hank.", Scott rebutted. It was without a doubt she was the better fighter, but he had improved tremendously over the past few months and she couldn't be more impressed, much to his pleasure. Her father scoffed at his remark.

"If you are two are finished, I think we should get down to business.", she rolled her eyes at their bickering. He reminded her of the times when she used to be desperately seeking for her father's approval, but she knew as hard as her father was on Scott on the surface, he wasn't cold-hearted. She closed her helmet and with a press of the button, shrank in size, her wings opened up, as she hovered in the air and flew out the van.

"Come on Ant-thony!", Scott yelled as he shrank, hopping onto the ant's torso, following closely behind her.

"Have you managed to name every ant yet?", she mocked him, her voice sounding through his earpiece.

"Almost. But Ant-thony's my favourite.", he patted the ant's head, while it affectionately nuzzled against his palm. Hope shook her head and smiled, amused by his bond with the ants.

Getting into the facility was easy as they flew and zipped through the air vents that were interconnected to get into the room where the vial was stored. Along the way, they had peeked through the numbers of guards that were needed to be taken care of when they had to get out from the building. "It's here.", Scott came to a halt while he peeped through the hole of a vent. Inside, there were four heavily-armed guards in the room protecting the vial that was placed inside a glass chamber. It was impossible to get hold of the vial without being seen.

"Come on.", Hope urged as she buzzed through the vent into the room, and hovered above one of the guard's shoulder. She plunged herself forcefully, legs first into the guard's face, knocking him over, looking perplexed as he stumbled onto the floor. "What the hell?", one of the guards shouted as he pointed his gun into nothing, looking around frantically.

"Hi.", Hope had crept up behind him as she grew back in size, tapped his shoulder and shoved him forward aggressively, making him tumble to the floor. She swiftly kicked off the gun that was directed at her by another incoming guard, landing a punch at his jaw and kicking his groin, making him moan in pain, as she shoved another uppercut on his chin, making him fall on the ground with a thump.

"Hey!", the fourth guard hollered as he charged towards her, gun in hand. Quickly, she stretched her hand out and released a shot from her blaster, shooting the gun off from his hand, burning his palm. He shouted in pain but hurtled towards her at the same time, swinging his fist and catching her across the jaw which made her flinch slightly. He was about to wave another punch but she managed to duck, and decked him in the abdomen, and swept him off his feet with a kick to his ankle.

"Now Scott!", she ordered. Upon hearing her signal, he switched back to size, and threw and enlargement disc at the glass chamber, breaking it. Briskly, he retrieved the vial and tucked it safely inside his suit and scurried to her side. "Let's go!", he said as he rushed through the door, while she reduced in size and flew by his side.

They encountered another group of guards, who were seemingly unaware of the heist that had happened. "Who are you?", one of the guards exclaimed as he saw Scott coming towards them. "Hey there!", he waved at them as he ran into their direction, punching one of the guards straight in the face. "Hope, catch!", he threw the vial at Hope who had speedily changed back in size, skilfully catching the vial, while Scott shrank.

"Where did he go?", the guards fumbled about. "Hey!", one of the guards yelled in shock when Hope appeared, while she showed no mercy as she placed a flying kick to the side of his face which sent him flying to the ground while Scott was jumping and plunging from one guard to another, blowing them out with his punches and kicks, rendering them unconscious.

"You've got multiple hostiles incoming. Keep moving!", Hank alerted them from the van as he screened through the security cam footage.

"Got it.", Hope replied, while Scott grew back in size, taking over the vial from her. "Good job.", he nodded mischievously at her while she looked at him, eyebrows raised. As they approached the entrance, a number of security guards were already standing guard, barricading the entrance. As soon as they saw them coming, they were already firing bullets at them. Scott quickly dodged away, going from one guard to another, throwing punches and kicks, not forgetting to grab a gun from an unconscious guard while Hope had diminished in size, weaving in and out, avoiding the string of bullets, and enlarging alternately, taking down the guards with her blasters.

They were already heading towards the door, when a recovered guard had snuck up behind Scott, taking at aim at him with a gun without his knowledge. "Scott! Behind you!", Hope alerted him through the earpiece, as she grew back in size, and stood in front of the guard, blasting him with her blaster at the same moment he released a shot at her. Scott turned around, his heart skipped a beat, as blood drained from his face and his body went cold, as he saw her falling back, and immediately caught her by the shoulders.

"Hope! Hope!", his eyes searching anxiously across her body, looking for signs of of blood, until he found a bullet wound on her right shoulder. He froze as he let out a gasp. The impact of the bullet had sent a wave of shock to her body, and she felt a sensation of pain like she had never felt before. Hope groaned in pain, her breathing heavy and shallow. "Stay with me Hope!", his voice panicky.

"Shit.", she cursed, her breath hitched, blood was starting to smear her suit.

"You're gonna be fine.", he comforted her as he peered through her helmet, only able to see her frowning. Afraid of more incoming guards, he acted fast. "I'm sorry Hope.", he pressed the button on her gloves, and she shrunk in size. She winced, even the slightest of movements shook her body with pain. Quickly, he placed her in his palms carefully and headed through the door, running into the van, and slammed the van door behind them.

"What happened?", Hank growled from the driver's seat, one foot already on the pedal, as he started the van and drove off.

"Hope got shot.", Scott replied, his throat dry and his mind a frenzy of thoughts as he placed Hope on the back seat of the van, pressed the button on her suit again, and she grew back in size, slumped on the seat, which made her moan lowly in pain.

"WHAT?", Hank shouted.

"I'm fine dad.", she panted, trying to breathe through the sting from her shoulder.

"No you're not.", Scott had already removed his suit and he was hastily taking off his shirt, and proceeded to ball it up. "This is going to hurt." She looked at him and nodded, slightly apprehensive, taking in a deep breath as he pressed the wad of cloth onto her injured shoulder, hoping it would reduce the bleeding of the bullet wound, making her cringe and she glared at him.

"Sorry.", he mouthed and narrowed his eyes at her sympathetically. "We need to get her to the hospital Hank.", his hands shaking and he was having palpitations. It hurt him to see her injured and it felt like his heart was going to jump out from his chest. He wished that he was the one hurt instead.

"No we can't. The police will be all over us.", she warned through gritted teeth. She was frowning, drops of sweat were starting to form o her forehead as she focused on her breathing, hoping to ease the pain. His free hand had shot to grip hers, and he squeezed her hand, hoping it would provide comfort.

"I'll get Paxton to settle it.", Scott reassured, his face tensed. It was his fault that she got hurt. "Just go to the hospital Hank.", his tone was urgent. Blood was quickly seeping through the cloth, staining his palm, so he pressed harder, making her groan and flinch, while he repeatedly muttered apologies to her.

"Already on the way.", Hank was already heading to the nearest hospital despite Hope's objections. When it came to his daughter, there was no thinking twice. He wasn't going to lose her like how he had lost his wife.

After a few agonising hours of waiting, Scott and Hank were at Hope's side, waiting for her to regain consciousness. The bullet had penetrated right through her shoulder, leaving an exit wound, miraculously only passing through the muscles, and narrowly missing her subclavian artery and brachial plexus. Still, she would require aggressive physiotherapy to regain her shoulder function. Hank was standing near the window, arms crossed, deep in thought. "Scott...", Hank broke the heavy silence in the room, his brows knitted into a frown.

"I'm sorry Hank. I know it's my fault she got hurt.", Scott apologised immediately. He was sitting on a chair next to her bed, staring attentively at her. Even though the surgery was a success and uneventful, she still looked pale and vulnerable, a state that he had never imagined to see her in.

"As much as I would like to blame you Scott, it was an accident. Accidents happen. Even though the both of you are supposed to look out for each other...", he trailed off.

"She looked out for me.", Scott mumbled, feeling guilty. When he heard the gun shot, he thought he had lost her and it terrified him. It had pulled him back to the time when Cassie was caught by Yellow Jacket, and he would sacrifice anything to protect her. "I was supposed to protect her.", he slouched slightly, his hands slithered up to rub his face, frustrated.

"Missions come with risks. As much as I would like to protect her from it, I cannot protect her forever. She chose this path and I have come to accept it.", Hank let out a sigh.

"So you won't take away my suit?", Hope mumbled weakly, as she slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright light. She was already half-awake, vaguely hearing their conversation, but her eyelids were too heavy to open. When she got shot, her biggest concern was how her father would have reacted and she was worried that he would stop her from wearing the suit again. Scott stood up abruptly when he heard her voice, his fingers immediately curling around her hand, giving a kiss on her knuckles. Hope turned to him with a small smile on her face.

Hank's eyes widened, relieved that she had finally woken up, and paced to her side. He had noticed Scott's reaction from the corner of his eye but he did not say a thing. "No I won't.", he coughed. "But I'm going to make some advancements to the suit.", he smiled at Hope as he approached her. "Get some rest.", he kissed her forehead, turned around the walked towards the door. "I'll give you two some time alone.", he waved and left the room.

"Hey.", a small smile was plastered on his face as he gazed at her tenderly. He gently brushed away the stray hair around her forehead and stroked her hair.

"Hey yourself.", still with a smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?", he held her hand tight, close to his lips, thumb brushing through her closed fist.

"Drugged.", she giggled a little, voice raspy and dry. Her mind was fuzzy, still clouded by the anaesthesia and analgesia that was administered to her, not to mention the morphine that was pumping into her body through an intravenous line. She was still feeling numb and the pain at her shoulder had not kick in yet.

He chuckled a little, amused, his smile quickly transitioned into a serious look. "Hope, you shouldn't have...", he didn't get to finish his sentence as she had interrupted him.

"Shouldn't have what? Saved you? Take a bullet for you? God Scott. You're clueless aren't you? I don't know if you realise this, but you're important to me, much more than you think.", she paused and blinked a few times, her clear green eyes blurred slightly with tears. She knew he would do the same for her.

"Are you in pain?", worried when he saw tears welling up in her eyes, her statement tugging at his heartstrings at the same time.

She shook her head. "I can't let you die. I need you.", she carried on.

He widened his eyes in surprise, deeply moved. It was the first time he was hearing her confession towards him, though it might be because she was highly medicated. "I need you too.", he flashed a small smile, his puppy dog eyes gazing at her softly.

"Believe me, I hated you.", she scoffed.

"Well, yeah, you were pretty obvious about it."

"But now I'm in love with you." It scared her, the emotions that she was feeling for him. She was never one to open up about herself to another person and yet he had changed that.

The corners of his mouth curled upwards into a wider smile. She had finally said it. He loves her so much. It hit him even more like a big wave hitting a shore when she nearly lost her life in front of him, that was when he realised that she was his one true partner, his soul mate. "Well news flash Hope..."

"Mm?", she was starting to feel drowsy again.

"I love you."

She laughed. Before this, he had uttered the three words on several occasions and yet she had not reciprocated, only smiling in response, though deep inside she was basking in the happiness that he gave her.

"Are you laughing at me? Aren't you going to say it back?", he teased. He stood up and leaned towards her, his warm large hands cupping both sides of her cheeks, and gave her a gentle peck on her lips.

Her face blossomed into a broad smile, her eyes sparkled with laughter. "I think I made it clear enough."

"But I want to hear it one more time.", he pestered her jokingly.

"Go away Scott."

"You're stuck with me.", he had climbed onto her bed and laid next to her, and planted a kiss on her forehead. She snuggled up to him, her head and upper body lying comfortably on his chest, while he wrapped his arm around her, careful not to touch her right shoulder, as she fell asleep in his embrace.


	16. The Things I Hate About You

It's mid-day as I open the front door to the house and saunter into the entrance hallway, humming a tune while jiggling my house and car keys in one hand. "Hope!", I call out as I place the keys on a side table at the hallway, which was now adorned with picture frames of our family. There was no reply.

"Honey?", I call again and I could picture her rolling her eyes in response. I knew that she disliked pet names, but I would do it every once in a while just to annoy her. Besides, I love catching the little upward curling of her corners of her mouth as she comes out with a witty retort. I peek through the living room but it was unoccupied, though traces of her were hard to miss as my gaze fall onto the crumpled blanket scattered across on the couch, and onto the half-filled mug and book that was placed on the coffee table. I frown, worry creases forming in my forehead. I was positively sure that she was at home, judging from her car that was parked at the front porch and her house slippers that were missing from the shoe rack. A little panicky, hoping she wasn't having one of her dizzy spells again, I pace to the stairs in a hurry and head upstairs. I walk towards the direction of our bedroom when I catch sight of the attic door that was left open. Curious, I climb up the steps and peer inside the attic, only to find her kneeling on the floor in front of several cardboard boxes with her back facing me.

"Hi.", I lean on the door frame, relief washing over me. "What are you doing up here?", I ask softly, watching her, noticing that she had wore her hair in a braid, tied up in a ponytail, something that I love seeing her in. The attic was where I used to spend time with Cassie though now it was mostly used for storage, but it would soon turn into a play room, again. I grin at the thought.

"Hey.", her reply cold, she didn't turn around, her focus clearly on something else. I recognise the pile of boxes at a glance, it was the things I had to clear away two years ago from my bedroom, when she had officially moved in. I narrow my eyes in confusion, wondering what was she rummaging through.

"What is so important that I can't even get your attention?", I remark dramatically. I walk to her side and get down on my knees, giving her a kiss on her temple in greeting.

She didn't return my affection, which was odd. "I was looking for a book, but instead I found this.", she shoves a sheet of slightly foxed paper into my hands, and she looks at me, expression unreadable, her lips a thin line.

My brows knit into a frown, perplex. "What is this? It's blank.", I stare at the piece of paper that was empty, place on my thighs.

She rolls her eyes at my silliness. "Turn it around.", she gestures at me with her finger, as she stares at the paper then back to me, emphasising me to take it. She sits back casually, her legs crossing beneath her.

I squint my eyes, suspicious and worry arousing inside me. Quickly, I turn my attention to the paper and flip it around. I widen my eyes in surprise, my jaw fall open, as I recognise my handwriting immediately. "Oh.", I gasp, my mouth turning into an 'O" shape, I glance quickly at her, and at the paper again, reading the title that I had scribbled a long time ago, my face swiftly breaking into a sheepish grin.

 _The things I hate about her._

Shit. I thought I threw that out years ago. How did this paper not decompose. It wasn't meant to be read, not by her.

"This.", I divert my gaze away from her, and look down, anxious, my thumb brushing the thin, brown-spotted paper, my throat dry.

"Oh yes. This.", she nods her head, her beautiful clear green orbs boring into me intensely, and I feel a burning sensation arising from my chest. "You know, for such a title, I thought it would depict my flaws, but they seem to be my good traits? Care to explain?"

I let out a nervous laugh, my body tense. "Are we doing this right now?", I run my hand through my hair, trying my luck to escape the awkward situation that would befall me any second now. I waver slightly, unsure if it would be a good idea to revisit our past, even though she has long forgiven me.

"Yes we are.", her voice firm as she crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow, curiosity and confusion etching on her face, still staring at me. She wasn't going to let me go, not this time.

"Ok.", I comply, clasping my hands together. "Then let's get comfortable shall we?", I sit with my legs cross on the floor and shuffle closer to her, enveloping her from behind, letting her lean on my chest, with one of my arm wrapping around her, as I feel the warmth of her body. From the corner of my eye, I catch a thin smile appearing on her face, her killer dimples deepening whenever she smiles. I relax a little, thinking this might not be so bad after all. Holding the paper in my hand, it instantly brought me back to the day that I had wrote it and the reason why, even though it had been a few years. I marvel at the events of our lives, from taking the mantle of Ant-Man and The Wasp, to becoming an Avenger, being on house arrest and defeating Thanos, and now she's here in my arms, safe and sound and I am forever grateful. I inhale deeply, thinking carefully on how to explain this to her. "I wrote this a few days into my house arrest, after watching 10 Things I Hate About You on TV.", I cough awkwardly, embarrass.

"Oh God. You're so cheesy Scott.", she scoffs at me.

I chuckle. "I realised I couldn't see you again and honestly, I missed you, badly. I had Cassie, but it just felt different, without you.", I said sincerely while I steal a glance at her, gauging her reaction, and she looks at me, her eyes brightening a little at my statement.

"But why?"

"Why?"

"I want to know why you wrote it."

"To try to forget about you."

"You wanted to forget about me?", she exclaims, looking at me with disbelief. "How could you!", she smacks my hand, her eyes wide open in surprise and hurt.

"No, no. What I meant was -", I stumble on my words like a child, struggling to explain, knowing she would misunderstand. Heck, even the title of the list was misleading enough. "Even if I wanted to, I knew I couldn't. And as I wrote this down, I realise it was the reasons of why I love you.", I explain as I look at her, a silly grin appearing on my face. She meets my gaze, her countenance soften as she considers my words.

"Why don't you read it?", I offer.

"Ok. Number one. _The way she thinks she's a badass._ ", she glares at me. "But I am!", she retorts, annoyance written on her face.

I laugh. "Undeniably you are. To be honest, I was terrified with your cold, hard exterior and that all-business hairdo didn't help either.", I recall the first time I met her, when she was watching me sleep with ants standing guard around me. I shudder at the thought.

"I looked pretty hard core back then.", she chuckles softly. She has changed since the first day I met her, her hair is longer now with soft curls at the end when it isn't tied up, she no longer wears heavy make-up, still, she looks as beautiful as ever.

"And when you kept kicking my ass whenever we spar or train, I knew you weren't someone to mess with. But, you're also a giant softie.", I tease her as she roll her eyes at me.

"I'm not.", she denies, shaking her head.

"Come on! You are! I realised it when you told me about how you felt about Hank being absent from your life and when you knew I had a daughter. And don't get me started on when we met again after two years of my house arrest. I noticed the way you look at me and when you kissed me at the docks. Also, when we were reunited after the defeat of Thanos, you practically jumped on me! Ah, memories!", I grin widely.

"Stop it.", she warns, as she gives me a death stare.

I let out a laugh again, pleased with myself and kiss the side of her head, taking in a whiff of her vanilla-scented hair.

"Number two.", she continues. " _The way she tries to hide her smile from me._ ", and she does it unknowingly now as she bites her lip, trying to stop herself from smiling.

"Guilty aren't you?" When I met her, she rarely smiled. It was a difficult task getting her to smile and it's something I pride myself with if I manage to squeeze a smile out of her. As she warmed up to me, she would try to stifle it or suppress a laugh at my silliness and goofiness. And when she does smile, it lights up her eyes and they twinkle with an honest delight, and not forgetting her irresistible dimples whenever she does. "This is my favourite. I love your smile. It means a lot to me."

"I always smile.", she thinks deeply, as she stares into a distance, trying to reminisce.

"Now, yes. Last time, not so much." She looks at me questioningly. "You didn't like me and all you showed was your resting bitch face.", I chortle. She despised me from day one and she was in a difficult situation with her father, I couldn't blame her. "But the first time you really smiled? It was when we were in your car together, when I managed to control the ants successfully."

"I can't believe you even remembered that!", she grins broadly, amused at my memory, unsuccessful in concealing her smile.

"I remember everything. Don't let my outward appearance fool you."

"You're such a dork.", her eyes twinkling with laughter as she mocks me.

"I'm your dork and I vow to make you smile every single day." It was a promise I made when we exchanged our wedding vows. She turns to me, and I lean forward, kissing her gently on her lips, as she smiles into the kiss. "Moving on!", I hollered.

She snorts and proceeds to read the third point on the list. " _Her skills and the way she pursues her passion._ "

"This is easy. You're my hero Hope. Your abilities and accomplishments inspire me. You're amazing, really, and I don't know how I got so lucky, having you by my side.", I remark honestly. Despite how much her father had objected her from being a superhero, she still continued to train herself and chase her dreams, and persevered till the very end. Cassie had made me want to be hero, but Hope was another driving force in me.

"You're my hero too.", she whispers, looking at me fondly.

I'm her hero. I smile in surprise as I feel my love her swell infinitely. "Also, I love the way you look in your suit. One word, hot.", I wink at her playfully. She laughs as she lace her fingers around mine, and I pull her hand towards my lips, kissing her palm.

She clears her throat. "Number four. _Her facial expressions._ What? You love my resting bitch face?", she giggles and falls back on me.

I didn't reply. It was difficult to explain her every facial gestures. Like how she's a master at rolling her eyes when she's annoyed or whenever she catches me doing something ridiculous or unbelievable. Or how she narrows her eyes, her face breaking into a lopsided smile, her dimples deepening on the left side of her face when she teases or makes fun of me. And when she's being judgemental, she fluidly cocks an eyebrow, peering right through my soul. Also, when she glowers at me, adorably thinking she could kill me with her looks, which I don't deny occasionally. And the way she bites her lip in full concentration whenever she's focusing on her work. And when I catch her looking at me with pure affection in her eyes, her expression so soft it makes my heart quicken or skip a beat. I realised I could go on and on and it amazes me at how far we've come. I look at her again, taking in her facial features as she's peering at me with curiosity, waiting for me to answer.

"This is difficult to explain. I just love everything about you."

She looks at me incredulously. "You're just going to leave me in the dark about this aren't you?"

"Yes.", I nod.

"Fine.", she prods my chest firmly with her elbow. I chuckle as I hold her tighter, burrowing my face in her shoulder, kissing the nape of her neck and resting my chin on her shoulder again.

"Number five. _The way she is with Cassie._ ", she reads out loud and the corners of her mouth curl upwards, as she subconsciously fiddles with my palm, lazily tracing invisible circles on it.

"This point is pretty straightforward. I'm happy that Cassie has someone like you in her life, someone to love her and for her to look up as a role model. She loves you Hope." I love seeing her interact with Cassie and it warms me up every time we spend time together. Even though I knew she wasn't particularly comfortable around children, deep down she always have a soft spot for Cassie because she didn't want her life to turn out like hers did.

"I love her too. But until now, I still can't believe that she's your daughter.", she jokes.

"What's that supposed to mean?", I fake hurt. I really am lucky to have a daughter like Cassie. "I can't wait to see you with our baby. You're gonna be a great mom." I let go of her hand, and slide my palm to the small bulge on her stomach. She leans closer to me, planting a kiss on my jaw, and rests her head on my chest.

"You really think so?", her voice slightly in doubt.

"I do.", I answer with conviction and kiss her forehead. "Speaking of which, I think we've been here for too long.", I shift uncomfortably on the cold floor. "You're supposed to be on bed rest!"

"I'm fine.", she grumbles. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid.", she huffs out in frustration.

"I just don't want you to tire yourself out.", I gently rub the small of her back. Suddenly, I hear a low rumble. I eye at her suspiciously, trying to stop myself from smiling. "You're hungry aren't you?"

She hides her face in my chest in embarrassment, her cheeks a faint blush. "Yes.", she replies softly.

"What did you have for lunch?"

"Leftovers.", she murmurs guiltily.

"What?", I look at her disapprovingly. "Come on, I'll fix us something to eat before dinner.", I stand up and help her get up to her feet. I take her hand in mine, leading her to the doorway. She rubs at her back, slightly groaning at the discomfort.

"Wait. We haven't went through number six.", she stops walking, and looks back at the sheet of paper that was left on the floor.

I flash my signature grin at her, and take both of her hands in mine. "It's how you take my breath away.", I said softly, looking at her endearingly. Her face blossoms into a wide smile as she takes a step closer towards me, her hands leaving mine as she places a hand on my chest, her other arm sliding up to wrap my neck and pulling me close till her lips meet mine, as I cling my hands around her waist. We kiss passionately.

"I love you.", she pulls back, breathless.

"I love _you_.", I cup her cheek with my hand, giving her another kiss.


	17. The Things I (Just Can't) Hate About You

The way he's honest. 

I threw off the earpiece, frustrated, as he snuck into my car and closed the door. "Oh God.", I rolled my eyes and glared at him in distaste.

"You gotta lock your doors. I mean, really. There's some weird folks in this neighbourhood.", he shook his head and throws a joke again at an inappropriate time like he always does, but it had only annoyed me more.

"Do you think this is a joke?", I cut him off. "Do you have any idea what he's asking you to risk?", I hissed as I questioned him. "You have a daughter." I still wonder at why he agreed to become the Ant-Man, knowing he could lose his life and his daughter would be left without a father. I didn't want the little girl's life to turn out like mine.

"I'm doing this for her.", he emphasised frankly.

I pondered at his statement, but did not reply. Instead, to my surprise, I started to reveal my past. "You know when my mother died, I didn't see him for two weeks." The memory of it was painful, but saying it out loud was unexpectedly relieving.

"He was in grief.", he commented. It surprised me that he was defending my father, someone he barely even knew.

"Yeah, so was I, and I was seven. And he never came back. Not in any way that counted. He just sent me off to boarding school.", I continued calmly. It was the first time I had ever showed my vulnerability.

He looked at me with a grave look on his face, not knowing what to say, a side of him that I have never seen before.

"You know I thought with all that's at stake, just maybe we might have a chance of making peace. But even now, he still wants to shut me out.", I sighed at the thought, and looked away, trying to stop myself from being emotional.

"He doesn't want to shut you out. He trusts you.", he stated his opinion firmly.

"Then why are you here?", I frowned, my lips pursed.

"It proves that he loves you.", he stared at me, his clear green eyes etched with honesty and sincerity.

I scoffed at his comment and stared down, avoiding his gaze.

"Hope. Look at me. I'm expendable. That's why I'm here. You must have realised that by now. I mean, it's why I'm in the suit and you're not. He'd rather lose this fight than lose you."

I turned my gaze at him and contemplated his statement. He had said it with such candour that it lead me to believe it might be true, that my father was trying to protect my, even if his actions proved otherwise. My expression soften as I began to change my outlook on Scott, thinking that maybe there was more than him than his silly facade. When I couldn't wrap my mind around on the reason why my father was strongly against me in wearing the suit, he had offered his perspective. After all, he was a father himself. Deep down, I knew that he would protect his daughter at all costs, even if it means sacrificing himself. I was hard on him, but I wasn't cold-hearted. Maybe he does deserve a second chance.

"Anyway...", he was about to get out from the car when I placed my hand on his forearm. His gaze fell to my hand, surprised at my touch.

"Hey. Thanks.", I mumbled under my breath, quickly glancing at him as I withdrew my hand.

"Wait. Am I hearing this right? You're actually thanking me?", a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Don't push it Scott.", I rolled my eyes and chewed on my lower lip, trying to refrain myself from smiling.

"You're welcome! I'm glad we had this talk because the tension between us, it has been stressful!", he widened his eyes dramatically, letting out a long sigh of relief. "And hey, I'm here if you need anybody to talk to. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets.", he winked at me.

I couldn't help but smile, actually considering his offer.

The way he's an idiot. 

We were at the lab, working on my suit, or rather, I was working, while he sat idly, opposite me. He had been stealing glances at me occasionally, thinking I wouldn't notice. Bored from soldering the piece of circuit board, he had shifted his attention to a colony of ants, using the earpiece to make them do different formations on the table. I peered at him dismissively at his man-child behaviour and returned to my work, and not long after, I heard him calling my name.

"Hope. Hope. Look at this.", he yelped excitedly.

"What is it?", I looked up to see him staring at the ants with full concentration, and my gaze travelled from him to the ants, where they had formed themselves into three words.

'I love you' contained in a heart shape.

I froze, unable to utter a word. Instead of letting the words come out from his mouth, he had let the ants do the job instead. That idiot.

He tilted his head upwards, his green eyes fixated on me, his face conveying so many emotions - honesty and sweetness that it was hard for me to look at him straight in the face. "I love you Hope.", he blurted. The ants dispersed as his focus shifted. His sudden confession had caught me off guard, and I couldn't hide the faint blush that was creeping onto my cheeks.

"What?", I smiled shyly in response, trying to contain my fluttering heart. I was never one to express affection, and I stumbled with my words. I didn't say it back, and he didn't seem to mind one bit.

"You heard me.", he flashed a silly smile as he jumped over the table to my side, knocking over several beakers and cylinders off the floor.

"Scott!", I exclaimed loudly but his hands had already grabbed my waist as he lifted me up onto the work table. I giggle like giddy child and wrapped my legs around him, while we kissed passionately, my work long forgotten.

Two hours later.

"Was there an earthquake?!", Hank growled grumpily, looking at the broken glasses on the floor, eyeing at us suspiciously while we both struggled to keep a straight face.

The way a song reminds me of him. 

_In the cool of the evening / When everything is getting kind of groovy / You call me up and ask me / Would I like to go with you and see a movie? / First I say no, I've got some plans for tonight / And then I stop and say all right / Love is kind of crazy with a spooky little boy like you_

The song opens with a breezy start, a tune that makes you bob your head along to the music, and when the velvety vocals start, it's a death ray of coolness. The song came up on the radio once, and immediately, I hated how the song reminded me of him. We were threading on unknown territory during the start of our relationship and neither of us had put a label on it even though it was clear that something was happening. Just when things were about to get serious, he had took off to Germany, joy-riding with Captain America.

I was working in the lab when he had strolled in. He took a seat behind me and grabbed a piece of circuit board and was about to meddle with it when the song attracted his attention. "This song sounds familiar.", he pointed out, his face scrunched up in deep thought.

"Is that so?", I arched an eyebrow, refraining myself from smiling, but I didn't turn around.

"Oh I remember, it was the song that was playing in your car after your kidnapped me.", he smirked.

"Kidnap seems like a strong word.", I looked at him over my shoulder and chuckled, amazed at his memory.

He laughed. "Any reason why you're playing the song over and over again?", he stared at me with a burning intensity, as if he was reading my mind.

"I...I just like the song.", I returned back to my work, my heart beating against my ribcage furiously, as I feel a hot flush pulsing through my cheeks.

"Wanna dance?", he asked smoothly.

"What?", I did a double take, and peered at him suspiciously. With him, I realised, I can never figure out. He was already walking towards me, his face plastered with a silly grin, his charm so disarming it's something I can't handle.

 _You always keep me guessing / I never seem to know what you are thinking / And if a girl looks at you / It's for sure your little eye will be a-winking / I get confused, I never know where I stand / And then you smile and hold my hand / Love is kind of crazy with a spooky little boy like you_

It was quite entertaining figuring out the twists and turns of his thought process in the beginning, albeit a little challenging but I never shy away from a challenge, and often times, the end result was amusing, even though absurd at times.

"Come on, it's a good song and you need to relax."

I giggled at his spontaneity, as he wrapped one of his arms around my waist before I could back away, his other hand intertwined around my fingers, as he swayed to the groove of the music, taking the lead. I lean closer towards him, and rested my chin on his broad shoulder, and whispered into his ear, my lips brushing his earlobe. "Scott, something's happening again isn't it?"

"Yes.", he replied with a twinkle in his eye, as he pressed a kiss to the side of my hair.

 _If you decide some day to stop this little game that you are a-playing / I'm gonna tell you all the things my heart's been a-dying to be saying / Just like a ghost you've been a-haunting my dreams / But now I know you're not what you seem / Love is kind of crazy with a spooky little boy like you_

The way he's sentimental. 

The charming melody of Everyday Is Like Sunday woke me up from my sleep, and I could hear the rustling sound of the sheets behind me, as he struggled to pick up his phone. "Luis.", he growled softly, before hanging up and placed his phone back on the side table.

I smiled lazily and snuggled deeply into the covers while he had turned over, his lean body spooned perfectly around the curve of my back. His hand had travelled under the covers and greeted my bare thighs, and he trailed his hands higher to my hips, while he peppered soft lingering kisses on the back of my neck and shoulder, when his phone rang again.

"Damn Luis!", he grumbled, his hot breath tickling my back.

I giggled. "You're not going to pick up your phone?"

"No. It must be Luis. I told him not to call today, it must have slipped his mind.", he encircled his arm around my waist.

The ringing stopped. Still, at the back of my mind, I couldn't help but notice the familiarity of his ringtone, something I had meant to ask him about. "Scott? That ringtone of yours..."

"Mm?", he had drifted off to sleep again.

"Isn't that one of the songs in the mixtape that you had made me?", I glanced at him over my shoulder, narrowing my eyes questioningly. I recalled the time when he had made me a mixtape of our favourite songs, which was old-school but romantic. His eyes bulged in surprise, and I could feel his body tensed, and a sheepish smile broke on his face.

"It is! And we had played it when we...", I stopped in my tracks, when an epiphany hit me like a gush of wave. "...when we made love. Oh God Scott. You're such a dork.", I gasped, my face scrunched up, looking at him mockingly.

He titled his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "Busted."

"How long have you had that ringtone for?"

"Two years...?", he raised an eyebrow in deep thought before he grinned bashfully.

"That's pathetic.", I scoffed at him, though I was smiling widely, amused at his sentimentality.

"But I'm glad you remembered.", he kissed my cheek.

The way he makes me laugh. 

It was late night when I was on the couch in the living area watching television, wrapped in a blanket when he had plumped down next to me, sinking into the overstuffed cushions.

"I'm bored.", he complained like a child, as he placed a hand on my thigh, tracing slow circles on it.

I looked at him, an eyebrow cocked. "You survived two years of house arrest, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine tonight.", I quipped.

"Hey, have you seen my close-up magic?", he grinned widely, ecstatic like a child. "I can't believe I haven't showed you yet!", he gasped like it was a travesty.

"Show me then.", I smiled, curiosity arising in me. Before I could react, he had already pulled out a playing card from behind my ear, the card magically appearing from thin air.

"That's pretty...amazing.", I let out a laugh, impressed.

"Thank you.", he tucked a hand behind him and bowed over.

I chuckled. "You're not hiding any cards up in your sleeves are you?" I reached out and patted his shoulders, searching for hidden cards.

"Of course not!", he looked at me wide-eyed, affronted. "How could you Hope! Now for the second act.", his voiced had turned deep for a dramatic effect.

I rolled my eyes.

"Ta da!", he pulled out a key from the back of my ear.

"A key?"

"A key to my heart." He no longer had a stupid grin on his face, but a small smile, his puppy dog eyes gazing at me endearingly. "Move in with me?", he asked softly as he held my hand, his thumb gently caressing my palm.

My heart rate quickened, surprised at the unexpected situation. Still, without hesitation, I nodded, a broad smile on my face, my heart bursting with happiness. His face lit up instantly as he smiled from ear to ear.

"That sounded like a line from a rom-com Scott.", I teased him, as I crawled over to him, and settled on his lap, and leaned in to kiss him.

"I might have indulged in that genre a little too much.", he cringed slightly, guilty. Suddenly, he whispered in my ear seductively, "Wanna see my magic in bed?", he wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively. I couldn't help but laugh, a full-body laugh, my whole body shaking with laughter. He was absolutely absurd, but that's what was so amazing about him. Before I could reply, he had stood up abruptly, holding me tight in his arms. I yelped out in surprise but it soon turned into uncontrollable giggles as he had raced towards the stairs and into the bedroom, my arms around his neck, and my legs straddled around him as I pressed kisses on his neck.

The way he is with our daughters. 

"This is impressive.", my eyes widened in amazement, my arms crossed as I take in the maze-like structure before me. "Did your dad build this single-handedly?", I took a few steps closed and peered into the opening of the cardboard box, curious of its interior.

"Yes he did.", Cassie nodded with a huge smile on her face, clearly proud of her father.

"How long did he take to complete this?"

"Nearly a week.", he appeared at the door and leaned at the door frame with a pleased look on his face.

"Daddy! I was just showing Hope the maze that you made. Do you think the three of us could go on the slide together?", Cassie asked, hopeful.

"There's a slide?" My interest piqued, the inner child in me awakening.

"Looks like somebody's interested.", he teased as he walked towards me.

"We could try peanut.", he ruffled Cassie's hair. "Why don't you go inside first then me and Hope will join you later?", he gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Okay!", she giggled with joy.

"I have to admit, this is pretty cool." I always knew he was a good father and the lengths he would go for his daughter never ceases to amaze me. It used to make me think about our future, if we would ever have one, that maybe someday we could have a child of our own. I stopped at the thought and cringed. What has gotten into me?

"What can I say. I'm pretty crafty.", he winked at me. "Why don't you see it for yourself?", he had already took my hand in his and we crouched into the opening of the cardboard maze.

A few years later. I woke up abruptly in the middle of the night, my biological clock already well-adjusted to the time when our daughter needed feeding, curious at why there wasn't any infant cries sounding from the baby monitor. I yawned and glanced to my side, only to find him missing. Perplexed, I got out from bed and sprinted towards our daughter's bedroom, when I heard whispers traveling out from the room. I approached the room quietly and peeked through the door, only to see him hunched over at her crib, with a milk bottle in his hand.

"Hey cookie, I got you.", he cooed softly, as he easily scooped our daughter out from her crib, and cuddled her closely. I smile at the nickname which he had insisted on calling our child ever since her presence was known to use. "Let's not wake mommy up tonight alright, she's tired, so we'll let her rest. It's only me and you tonight, okay?, his voice so gentle.

I beamed at the sight, my sleepiness immediately melted away.

"I love you so much.", he kissed her forehead while he fed her. "And I love your mommy so much for bringing you to this world.", he murmured as he swayed from side to side, marvelling at their little creation, reminding him of the times when Cassie was still a baby. "You know, I almost lost her when you were born and it terrified me, even more than when I was stuck in the Quantum Realm."

I froze and my heart sank. We rarely discussed about the event that had occurred though I knew it was traumatising for him but I could barely remember because I had lost consciousness. I couldn't see his face in the dim light but I could picture it, his beautiful green eyes drooping slightly, the brightness in them waning and his lips pursed. It was an emotion he rarely expressed, always putting up a bubbly front was his forte after all.

"But she made it through and now I have both of you with me and I'm always thanking my lucky stars for that.", he kissed her plump, soft cheeks. "Cassie, your mother and you were the best things that had ever happened in my life."

A tear escaped through my eyes, and it trailed down my cheek. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me too.

...

I smile as I pen down the points on paper, memories flooding back like a river, still crystal clear, as if it had happened yesterday. I reminisce at the past and I'm in awe at how we had survived it all, together. After the war, or as fancied by Scott, the reversed-snap, most of us had settled back into our lives, occasionally being called back for mission or two, but it was nothing we couldn't handle.

"Ah ha!", he hollers. I hear his voice behind me, as he swiftly leans back and sits on the edge of the work desk, next to where I'm sitting.

I jump at his voice, my heart racing. "Shit. You walk like a ghost Scott."

"I'm surprised you didn't hear me walking in. You rarely let your guard down.", he teases me with a lopsided smile, which is true, something he had come to observe over the years. I can't seem to stay relax or unsuspecting as normal people would, it's a habit that's difficult for me to shake off, until now. "What's that?", his gaze falls onto the piece of paper under my hands.

"It's nothing.", I shrug nonchalantly, keeping my expression neutral while shifting my arms unsuspiciously, trying my best to cover my writing.

He squints. "Is that what I think it is? A list?", a smug smile spreads across his face. I turn away and look down, avoiding his gaze, biting my lower lip to suppress a smile. I could feel his eyes burning into my skin as I hold on to the paper tighter, but from the corner of my eye, he reaches out his hand and tugs at the sheet of paper out from under my hands, to my horror. My hand slides up to cover part of my face, and I slouch in embarrassment.

"You've gone soft Hope!", his eyes sparkling with laughter, as he skims through the list.

"And I have you to blame for that.", I glower at him, my cheeks flush. I hated how he had soften my hardened edges over the past few years. "I know it's been two years since I've discovered the list that you wrote about me but I wanted to get back at you and it was supposed to be a surprise!"

"I am surprised!", he responds in glee as he lean towards me and places a kiss on my forehead. He turns his attention to the paper again, reading the first point aloud. "I'm honoured that you think I'm honest because when we met all you did was scowl at me. Who would trust an ex-con anyway, even Baskin Robbins didn't.", he chuckles.

"To think I went from despising you to almost liking you.", I laugh at the absurdity, something I had never expected from the beginning. "I think it all changed when we had that conversation in the car." It was something I had never shared with him before, how I had started to respect him as a person and how I felt safe confiding my deepest, darkest secrets with him.

"That was some speech huh.", the tone of his voice is cocky as he looks pleased with himself. "But I meant every word of it.", and there he goes again, as he looks at me warmly, his green orbs reflecting truthfulness and sincerity. "Wait, did you start to fall for me at that time?", his smile transitions to a cheeky grin.

"That's not important Scott.", I let out a short laugh and evade his question, giving it a deep thought. It was difficult to explain how I had fallen for him. "It just happened, I don't think I need any reasons for how I fell in love with you. I just did."

"I think that's the most romantic thing you have ever said to me."

I snort. I was always never good with expressing my feelings.

He adjusts his position on the table till he is sitting right in front of me, and he subconsciously holds one of my hand, something he does often whenever he is beside me. He looks at the paper again and grins widely. "I still find it unbelievable that you're attracted to an idiot like me.", he self-deprecates, depicting his wry sense of humour, though I know for a fact that he's an intelligent man, even though he often acts otherwise.

"You're a man-child Scott.", I burst into laughter as I think of all the silly and ridiculous things he has done. "But you gotta give yourself some credit.", I squeeze his hand lightly and he looks at our entwined hands, smiling slightly. "I love how you've given me a home, and every single time I see you with Cassie, with Hailey, I have never regretted my decision of having you as my partner."

He grins wider. "I'm glad I have a second chance with you. I really do." He clears his throat and continues to read through the list. "I'm sentimental? This is totally inaccurate.", he scoffs.

"Really?", I narrow my eyes at him, doubting him as I pull out the drawer and reach for a cassette and shakes the object in front of him. "You made me a mixtape, you're still using the same ringtone you used since five years ago, you're still keeping that scary stuffed rabbit that you've gotten for Cassie even though she's outgrown it...", I could go on and on.

A boyish grin animates his lips and he takes the cassette from my hand. "My god, do they even make cassettes anymore?", he muses. "Also, the song reminds me of when we make..."

"I don't need reminding.", I roll me eyes as I interrupt him, derailing him from making his statement. He erupts into a fit of laughter at my annoyance. "And I hope you have never mentioned to anyone about the origins of your ringtone.", I cock an eyebrow.

Suddenly his face contorts, his features scrunches up slightly, embarrassment creeping up his face. "I might have mentioned it, in a drunken state to the guys..."

I stare at him incredulously. "That's it, you're not getting laid at any point now or in the future.", I warn.

"Are you sure about that? Because I bet you couldn't last one day without jumping my bones.", he taunts me, his arrogance showing.

"Are you saying I can't withhold from having sex with you?", I retort, offended with his remark. "Because I seem to recall someone's hand was between my thighs today morning.", I smirk.

His face falls, colour rising from his cheeks.

"Don't bet on something you can't win Scott.", I wink at him.

"Ha ha." He returns to the paper again, trying to divert the topic. "The way he makes me laugh."

"I don't think this needs explanation.", the sides of my lips curl up forming a smile as I look at him lovingly, as I hold his hand tighter. "I love how you brought me smiles and laughter even at the most difficult of times, and even as I try so hard to stop myself from giving in to you, I just can't. You're like a breath of sunshine Scott, and you're my sunshine." I watch his smile grow wider and wider as I ramble.

He stares intently at me, his mouth slightly agape, his countenance brimming an indescribable joy. "I don't know what to say."

"You're speechless. Well, this is a first.", I tease him.

"I love you.", he succeeds in saying, and he leans down, giving me a gentle peck on the lips and I smile into the kiss.

"I know."

He reads the next point out loud. "The way a song reminds me of him. Wait, what song?", he turns to me, curious. "No, wait, let me guess.", he ruminates hard, his brows furrows together, and suddenly, realisation dawns on him like a tidal wave. "No way! Was it that song that we danced to at the lab?", a lopsided smile appearing on his face.

"How did you know?", I nod and laugh, in awe at how he remembers every single detail of us.

"I had my suspicions. And you still listen to that song occasionally, talk about me being sentimental. So I'm that spooky little boy huh?", he grins with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "There's just one small correction though, I only have eyes for your and no one else.", he stares at me, full of love and adoration.

"I'll make sure of that. If not you'll be in trouble.", I stand up and turn around, my back facing him, and he shuffles backward, giving me space for me to sit at the edge of the table. I lean closer into him, my back resting on his chest, while he envelopes me with his arm and I cup his cheek, planting a kiss on his jaw.

"The last one. The way he is with our daughters.", he rests his chin on my shoulder.

"I think I have told you a thousand times. You're an incredible father Scott, you really are. I love that you're the father to our daughter and that you're everything that my father wasn't, and I am very certain that you would never leave her, and you would always be there for her. And the effort you make when you spend time with Cassie and Hailey, to be with them, just seeing you with them makes me so happy.", I look at him with pure admiration, my chest swelling with pride.

He chokes a little as he tries hard to fight the lump rising from his throat. "And I have you to thank Hope, for bringing Hailey to us. I've always regretted not being there for Cassie during her formative years...", he pauses and inhales deeply.

"Oh Scott.", I stroke his cheek gently, leaning my forehead against the side of his head. "She still turned out perfect, she's amazing.", I soothe him.

"I know. And I'm happy that I get to have another shot with Hailey.", he turns to look at me, the tip of his nose brushing mine, his face so close it's blurry and I greet his lips with mine before resting my forehead on his again.

"Now, what's the real surprise?", he asks after a while.

"What real surprise?", I look away and pretend to not know what was coming. As much as he looks like he's clueless on the surface, he can be sensitive at times, and one scrutinising look from him he seems to know or suspect something.

"I don't know. You said this was supposed to be a surprise but my birthday and our anniversary's over...", he ponders hard.

Damn it. I curse myself for letting it slip.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell my anything?" He strokes my hand gently, looking at me tenderly, encouraging me. "Like how recently you've been sleeping in late, you're not having your usual cup of coffee in the morning, and don't deny it, I caught you with tears in your eyes when Hailey finally learned to say 'I love you' a few days back. You're rarely emotional, and when you are, it means you're...", he trails off, eyeing at me suspiciously.

I hold my gaze at him but I bite my lip to stifle a smile. It amazes me at how he seems to be so in tune with me, with my emotions and with my body. God, I love this man.

"You're pregnant aren't you.", he reveals my secret with ease.

I break into a wide smile and nod vigorously, confirming his suspicions. "I'm pregnant."

He clumsily launches at me, and pulls me close into his chest, hugging me tight, his lips pressing sweet kisses over the side of my face and neck. I bubble over with laughter at his affection. "I love you. I love you so much.", he whispers into my ear. He pulls away and looks at me lovingly, he takes in a deep breath as his slightly trembling hand reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear and I see a glint of fear in his eyes and worry creases forming on his forehead and I understood immediately.

"I'm fine. We're going to be fine.", I allay his fears quickly, cupping his cheek, my thumb grazing his stubbled cheek and then moving through this hair, as I attempt to calm him. I knew what was on his mind. Our daughter's birth wasn't exactly easy and it was complicated with postpartum haemorrhage, and I know it terrified him, even if he never really talked about it. Still, I could see it by the way he watches me sometimes, especially when I'm with Hailey, at how he's always thankful that I got through the whole ordeal. It wasn't like a mission where we could be in total control, it was a totally different process.

"I know.", his features soften and relaxes as his palm covers my hand, and slides it over to his lips, kissing my hand. "Whatever it is, we're going to get through it together.", he promises.

"Together.", I smile and close the distance between us and catches his lips with mine, and we kiss deeply.


	18. Proposal

"Dad?", Cassie cocks her head up, visibly bored from her Maths homework, as she rests her chin on her open palms, placing her elbows on the kitchen island. She had outgrown the phase of calling him 'daddy', much to Scott's dismay.

 _(She called me dad Hope! Not daddy!", he sinks broken-hearted onto the couch when he hears it for the first time, his chin dipping to his chest, pouting, his hands gripping his elbows tightly._

 _"You can't expect her to be ten forever Scott.", Hope comforts him as she runs her fingers through his hair, a thin smile spreading on her face, feeling amuse and sympathetic at the same time.)_

Still, Cassie will forever be her daddy's little girl.

"Yeah peanut?", he answers, his back to her, his hands in motion, dextrously whipping up a storm, the batter for the waffles he's preparing for breakfast.

"When are you going to propose to Hope?", she asks nonchalantly like it's a small matter, a shit-eating grin on her face, so similar to her father's that his breath hitches every time because he sees himself in her.

Scott almost spills the batter on himself at the slip of her words and his body stiffens up, and his shoulders evidently tenses. He slowly turns around, with specks of flour on his nose and cheek, and Cassie giggles at the sight of her father. "I'm... I'm getting to it.", he stutters like a child, his eyes darting to and fro, trying to avoid his daughter's inquisitive gaze.

"We bought the ring a week ago dad!", her brows furrow as she huffs out in frustration. Scott had revealed his intentions of proposing to Hope to Cassie and she had helped him chose a beautiful diamond engagement ring.

"I know!"

"Are you afraid?", she teases her father.

"Afraid? Me?! That's ridiculous.", he waves it off, but the weight of her words lingers in him. He swallows a lump in his throat. "I just want it to be perfect.", he places the bowl of batter on the kitchen table and leans against it. Scott and Hope had been dating for the past two years after the defeat of Thanos and even though they had never talked about marriage, he knew from the start that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He knew they were contented with the way things were going but the wanted to take it to the next level. He has never been so sure of this. "And I need to know how she feels about this whole marriage thing."

"Dad, you will never know how she feels if you're not going to ask her.", Cassie reasons.

"I know peanut. I already have something in mind.", he winks at her.

...

The first shafts of sunlight streams through the curtains, waking him up from his unfulfilling sleep, as thoughts of proposing to Hope circulated in his mind throughout the night, making him drift in and out from sleep. Reluctantly, he opens his heavy eyes, and runs a hand through his tired face. He finds Hope asleep, her head resting on his upper arm, using him as a pillow, as always. In the midst of the cold night, she had rolled into him, and now she lay curl up beside him, with one of her open-palms resting on his lean chest. A small smile animates his lips as he absently draws slow, lazy, invisible circles on her smooth bare back, while he watches her, his gaze roaming slowly, taking in her delicate features.

He has come to memorise her facial features from the curl of her thick, black eyelashes, the sprinkle of freckles over her nose and cheeks to the dimple on her left cheek and the small cute dent on her chin. The glow of the warm light had only further enhanced at how radiant she is all on her own. He sighs contently at the sight of her. He figures he could just ask her to marry him there and then.

"Something's bothering you.", Hope murmurs suddenly, her eyes still closed.

He lets out a soft chuckle. "Is that so?"

"I know because you were tossing around in bed almost the whole night. And you're the type of person who falls asleep immediately when your head touches the pillow.", she explains as she opens an eye, and he could see the corner of her lips curling up, her left dimple deepening. It tugs at his heart strings at how well she knows him.

"I'm sorry.", he kisses the crown of her head. He knows she's a light sleeper, has always been. It's a habit that's difficult for her to get rid off.

"So what is it?", she presses on, wanting to know what was troubling him. She snuggles closer to him and tilts her head backwards, eyes opening, meeting his gaze. She noticed he seemed to be worried about something for the past one week and she just couldn't figure out why.

"Marry me." The words escapes from his lips in a whisper. He needed to test the waters. He sees her get up and thinks she's about to go and run. _Shit._ He panics a little thinking he has scared her.

Instead, she cocks her head up immediately and turns to him, propping herself up on her elbows, and settles herself on his chest. She looks at him intently, her green eyes now alert and attentive, her sleepiness disappearing promptly. "Are you proposing to me right now?", she asks, narrowing her eyes.

He relaxes and resorts to toy with her silky soft curls with his fingers. "What if I am?", he flashes a boyish grin.

Her heart skips a beat. This is unexpected, she thinks. But she's even more surprised with herself because she's not on the verge of picking up her clothes and running away. He couldn't be serious, is he?

"So, where's the ring?", she teases him.

Smoothly, with the flick of his fingers, he magically produces a toy ring and waves it in front of her. Damn him and his close-up magic.

"A toy ring?!", she stares at him incredulously, and a wave of confusion hovers over her. Suddenly, her head collapses on him, and her hand shoots up to cover her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. "And here I was, thinking that you were being serious.", she laughs it off, although she couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment, which was odd. She flashes back to her sixteen-year-old self, where every girl wanted to look at bridal magazines, and she couldn't have been more bored because all she wanted to do was to become a superhero.

"What's wrong with a toy ring?", Scott's heart sinks a little when she brushes him off. Still, he observes her secretly, noticing that she didn't flinch when he had popped the question, indicating it was a safe topic to venture on. "It's cute."

"It's very you Scott.", she kisses his shoulder fondly. "But where's the flowers? The cheesy romantic song you'd be playing? Aren't you supposed to bend down on one knee?", she playfully mocks him with a wide smile.

"What? I am not that cliche.", he retorts, affronted.

"As much as you refuse to admit, you are.", Hope chuckles. Instantly, his face scrunches up and he grabs her at her waist, pulling her slightly downwards and straddle her with his thighs and sits lightly on her causing her to yelp in surprise.

"I am not.", he huffs and proceeds to tickle her, making her giggle uncontrollably, her face lighting up with laughter.

"So what do you think about marriage?", he stops, suddenly serious.

"That it's just a piece of paper to tie two people together?", she bites her lower lip, a thin smile appearing on her face.

Scott shakes his head and breaks into a lopsided grin. "As expected from Hope Van Dyne.", he leans forward, pressing a sweet kiss on her pulse point, giving her the tingles. "From the way I see it, it's a beautiful union between two people who are in love.", he muses.

Hope snorts at his cheesy comment. It's only him who could say such a statement out loud and make it sound tolerable to her ears.

"So what do you say?"

"Maybe I'll let you know if you do propose.", she replies cheekily. She wraps her arms around his neck, and draws him closer, her mouth opening over his, closing him up with a passionate kiss.

 _Oh yes, he definitely will._

...

"Scott proposed to me today...", Hope mentions casually as she plops herself onto the couch in the living room, where Hank and Janet were spending quality time together. They turn to her abruptly, Janet, with a broad smile on her face while Hank's with his usual unreadable expression.

"That's great!", Janet exclaims excitedly.

"In bed, he proposed to me in bed.", Hope carries on and stops herself when she sees Hank cringe and shifts uncomfortably on his seat.

"Dear God, I do not need to hear this.", Hank winces.

"With a toy ring. So it wasn't a real proposal, I think. Or at least I think.", she ponders for a moment.

"Oh.", Janet's smile falters, though she senses a hint of disappointment in her daughter's tone.

"What?! He's hopeless.", Hank scoffs. "Ow!", Janet nudges him with her elbow way harder than she intended to.

"But how do you feel about this?", the older woman walks over to her daughter's side and sits beside her.

"About the toy ring? I thought it was a prank, you know how Scott is." Hope thinks about how she had quickly brushed it off as a joke to hide that twinge of disappointment which was slowly creeping in again.

"Oh jellybean, I meant the prospect of Scott proposing."

"Oh. I...I don't know. I mean, I was slightly taken aback, but I wasn't really scared or anything, okay, maybe I was a little scared at first but it didn't make me run away. Because I would have, if it happened years ago...", she trails off.

Janet looks at her with a wide grin because her daughter doesn't realise her own true feelings yet. "That means you're ready...", she takes Hope's hand in hers and pats it gently.

"Ready for what?"

"To marry Scott."

Hank almost chokes on his tea.

...

It's evening when Hope steps into the entrance of the hallway of the house and an eerie silence greets her, which was unusual at this hour. "Scott?", she calls his name and she's about to walk further down the hallway when her gaze falls on an object on the floor - a giant bee soft toy with a Post-It note pinned in the middle, scribbled with Scott's handwriting. She narrows her eyes in suspicion, picks up the toy, and reads through the note.

 _Hope, I know you'd probably be rolling your eyes right now but I just want to tell you how much you mean to me and how I'm so grateful to have you by my side. There's little Post-It notes around the house for you to discover, so follow my trail!_

 _I love that you're the first person I see every time I walk into the house._

 _P/S I couldn't find a wasp toy, so I hope this bee shall do._

She grins widely and shakes her head slightly, her hand stroking the soft toy. He's such a dork and yet she's so in love with him. Her fingers traces the red wool string that's attached to the toy and she follows the trail, leading her to a side table at the hallway decorated with several picture frames, containing mostly pictures of Cassie, Scott and Hope. She puts the soft toy on the table and notices a note that was stuck on one of the picture frames and she lightly tugs it off, and skims through his handwriting.

 _I hope we'll be creating more and more memories together and maybe we'll have another family member in the future?_

Hope's heart nervously flutters a little. She can't deny that she doesn't have visions of building a family with Scott whenever she spends time with him and Cassie, although she would never admit it to him. Also, the though of seeing Scott with children of their own was a little enticing, knowing how great a father Scott is. She glances at the pictures again, memories flooding in like a river and she's in awe at how her life had changed tremendously over the past few years, and she chokes up a little. She clears her mind and follows the length of string to the kitchen until she finds another note on the fridge. She plucks the note off from the fridge and leans against it and reads the note.

 _I love waking up next to you in the morning and having breakfast with you._

 _Oh and open the fridge please._

Hope had moved in with Scott a year ago and she loves watching him sleep (a running joke that they share), watching his chest fall and rise till her breathing syncs with him and she rolls into him, while he cuddles close to her, holding her comfortably in his arms during the night, and the way he sneaks in little kisses on her face when he wakes up before her. She loves the effort he takes to make them breakfast even though he makes a mess of the kitchen and sometimes himself and he mischievously tries to drag her into it too.

She lets out a small laugh and turns around to open the fridge, curiosity arousing within her. She has a little inkling at where this might be leading to, but yet she finds it hard to contain her pounding heart in her chest, her heartbeat echoing in her ears, a drastic contrast with the quiet house. She opens the door and finds a bottle of red wine with a note attached to it. _Take me please._ She grabs the wine and proceeds to follow the string, which led her to the basement.

Scott had turned the basement into a training room, and even though it wasn't as big as her house's basement, it was still adequate for the both of them. The lights were already on when she steps in and her attention falls on two small trophies that were placed in a cupboard as she sees a Post-It note on one of the trophies.

 _I love training with you even if you kick my ass every time but can't you just let me win once?_

She chuckles at the context of the note and reaches out for the trophy that was placed next to Scott's World's Greatest Grandma and fondly looks at it. He had gifted her a small trophy with the words World's Greatest Partner (an idea from Cassie) and with Scott's insistence, despite Hank's objections, the both of them had kept their suits in it, but not before Hank demanding Scott to install a top-notch security system for the house. Every day, without fail, the two of them would take some time off to spar together and it would almost always end with Scott on the floor (Hope occasionally suspects he does it on purpose) or with them making love till they're too spent to move. She grins at the memories and places the trophy back into the cupboard and continues along the trail of the string, the bottle of wine still in her hand and wanders into the living room.

The living room is reasonably spacious, with a dark coloured fabric couch facing the television. She looks around and she has an intuition at where he wants her to look. She walks towards a giant shelf of books at the side of the living room and as expected, she spots a note there. In the beginning, much to Hope's surprise, she found out that Scott was an avid reader as she had come to observe from his big collection of books.

 _I love how you're leaving traces of you in the house and it had all started from the books you leave around the house._

She smiles to herself as she reads the note. Before moving in, whenever Hope came around or whenever she stayed over, she would bring along several books but would never bring them back to her house and Scott would joke about how she should move all her books to his house instead, and she remembers how she would laugh at the notion. But now, all her books were placed with his, alphabetically arranged on the bookshelf. Her hand sweeps through the spine of the books as she recalls the time she would spend with Scott sitting opposite together on the couch, books in hand, their warm bodies slightly brushing each other, enjoying each other's presence.

Once again, she trots out from the living room and follows the string on the floor to the stairs. She climbs the stairs and she wonders where is he hiding even though she is enjoying this little game that he had planned out. Her hand brushes on another note attached to the hand railing of the stairs that she nearly misses and she takes it out gently, her eyes keenly flicking through his writing.

 _Just as much as I love waking up next to you, I love going to bed with you every single day._

A small smile blossoms on her face and she realises she misses him so much that she wants to see him right now so she hastily darts up the stairs until she reaches the landing of the hallway. "Scott?", she calls out, and through the silence of the house, she vaguely hears a faint humming coming from their bedroom and she sees a dim light streaming through the crack of the door. She approaches the bedroom quietly, her pulse quickening, her heart thumping wildly against her ribcage as she walks closer to the bedroom.

Hope stands in front the door and hesitates for a moment. She recalls her mother's words, her comment of how she's ready for marriage ringing in her ears, and she subconsciously takes a step backward, slightly afraid. She looks back at the ups and downs in her life, from how she had lost her mother, to her father disappearing from her lief, and how despite hating her father she had chose to forgive him and to now she has both her parents by her side. And then there was Scott, the man who had break down her icy walls, the man who had brought the brightest of sunshines and colours into her life, and the man who she realised, loves with whole her heart. She could do this, whatever that he is planning to do.

She takes a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down and turns the doorknob, her hands slightly trembling with nervousness and excitement. She opens the door and she sees him standing in the middle of the room. His eyes meet hers, and a charming smile etches on his face, the one that's so disarming that it makes her knees weak. She hears a faint melody in the background and recognises the tune instantly, Morrissey's Everyday Is Like Sunday playing from the cassette player, and thinks back at how she had mocked him for being so cheesy and yet he still does it anyway. That dork.

"Hi.", she walks into the room, meeting him in the middle.

"Hi.", Scott fidgets with his hands, his gaze not leaving hers. His heart gives a leap, and he marvels at how just the sight of her still gives him butterflies.

"Scott, what's all this about?", she cocks a brow and shakes the wine bottle in her hand.

"Oh that.", he points at the wine bottle and takes it from her. "It's for me." Before she could react, he pops the cork off and takes a swig from it. He tilts his head a little, hoping the wine will calm his nerves, but his heart was still beating up a storm. She raises her forehead in amusement and let out a soft chuckle. He places the bottle on the floor and takes her hands in his, his thumbs gently caressing her soft hands and stares intensely at her, his eyes full of adoration. "I take it you read my notes?"

"Yes.", she nods, the corners of her lips curling up into a smile. She loves how he was always so up front with his feelings for her. "You and your lists.", she teases him.

He smiles bashfully. "Hope...", his voice a little shaky and he inhales sharply before continuing. _This is it._ "We've been through so much together, and I'm so happy that I have you with me along the way. Luis once asked me if I could turn back time, what would I change, and I told him I wouldn't change anything and I would do it all over again, even burgling Vista Corp again, because all of it lead me to you."

Hope breaks into a wide smile, her green eyes glimmering, her vision slightly blurring as tears prick her eyes, his words making her heart soar, moving her deeply. He studies her face closely, and a wave of relief takes over him when he sees the smile he adores so much. He let go of her hands and reaches for his pocket, his hand shaking as he struggles to take a small box out from his pocket.

"Where's your close-up magic?", she giggles.

"I figured I'd do it the conventional way.", he comments, slightly embarrassed, a shade of crimson creeping up his cheeks. He lets out a shaky breath and manages to take out the small black velvet box from his pocket and swiftly, he drops down on one knee and opens the box in front of her, revealing the engagement ring.

"Hope, will you marry me and be my one true partner forever?", he proposes to her, grinning earnestly.

A wrinkle of surprise appears on her forehead. "It's not a toy ring?", a laugh teases the corner of her mouth, and she feels tears brimming in her eyes, as her heart explodes with pure happiness.

"This is a serious moment and you decide to laugh?", he fakes disbelief.

Her hand reaches up to clasp her mouth, trying hard to keep her laughter at bay. "Yes, I'll marry you Scott.", she nods and blinks back her tears, looking at him affectionately as he takes her left hand, his heart swelling with joy and slips the engagement ring onto her ring finger. He stands up as she steps forward, her hands already sliding up his chest and she grabs a fistful of his collar, pulling him down to her level and closer to her, her lips hungrily greeting his, his hands flying up to cup her cheeks, and they kiss long, hard and deeply.

"I love you Hope.", Scott murmurs against her lips.

Hope smiles, and hugs him close, resting her chin on his shoulder, as she whispers back the three words into his ear, placing a lingering soft kiss on the side of his neck. She figures she could spend the rest of her life with this man, her forever partner.


	19. Aftermath

It seems interminable, the time she is trapped in this place. She wouldn't call it a place even, more like a dimension, or in limbo, as some of the others would call it, a dimension shrouded by a mysterious mist. It contains nothing, a space stripped of life and existence, apart from the millions of souls it had captured into it, like a wormhole. Everything feels real, heck, she feels real herself, but at the same time, it seems like an illusion, dancing in front of her. The flow of time is warped, almost inexistent, and she doesn't know how long she's been here, which is so frustrating, it surprises her that she hasn't resort to pulling her hair out.

Hope remembers the shock pulsing through her torso, as she stiffens in bewilderment, completely perplexed when she watches her parents fade into dust. She stumbles forward, trying to grasp whatever that's left of her mother's hand and yet Janet disappears into ashes that settles to the ground. An impending sense of death looms over her and she spins around quickly, reaching for the walkie talkie, hoping to contact Scott, but she finds herself crumbling away too, her fingertips first and it spreads, and she falls onto the ground. It almost seems painless, but it's terrifying to see herself turn into black specks of dust, and yet feel helpless to prevent it from happening.

She wakes up, whole again, into this place, lying on the ground, her mind struggling to grapple with the reality of it all. Where is she? Is this a dream? Did she die? A million pressing questions runs through her mind although she senses she will never get her answers, at least not for now. She sees her parents beside her, holding on to each other, both equally as puzzled as her. Immediately, she snaps back to her senses, her eyes darting to and fro, near and far, anxiously raking in her surroundings, searching for his familiar face.

Her face falls and it hits her like a tidal wave as it dawns on her that he's still in the Quantum Realm, because she had left him there, unintentionally. A stabbing pain fills her chest as she imagines Scott all alone in the Quantum Realm ( _it melts your mind, she remembers him saying_ ), unable to return and unable to figure out what had just happened. Fear fogs her brain as she couldn't bear the thought of him thinking that she had abandoned him, how helpless and afraid and lonely he must feel, or maybe even hurt and betrayed. She wants nothing but to see his face right now, to tell him that she didn't leave him, to touch him and to hug him again.

Hope tries hard to keep it all together, but she breaks down one day, sitting on the ground, drowning in horrible thoughts, and endless memories flashes by. At first, she chokes up a little, her green eyes welling up with tears then she reduces to weeping uncontrollably, tears falling off like raindrops, staining her cheeks, her breathing becoming shallow and unsteady. She pulls her knees closer to her chest, wrapping herself with her arms and hides her face while she sobs, visibly shaken. After a while, Hope feels a firm grip on her shoulder and she flinches, looking up only to see her mother standing in front of her. Janet stoops down to Hope's level and sits beside her, reaching out an arm to her shoulder and pulling her close, letting her daughter lean on her. Her mother doesn't utter a word because she understands, the feeling of being separated from the family or the man you love. Her grip tightens on Hope and she seeks comfort in her mother's embrace, and for once, she's not embarrassed in letting her vulnerability show.

One day, she meets a doctor with a red cloak with a mind of its own and he tells her that there's a one in a million chance that this would be reversible and they would return to wherever they came from. He speaks of the Quantum Realm and how it would play a role in their victory against Thanos and she is reminded of Scott again. He asks her to be patient and the time will come when they will be reunited with their loved ones. Patience is never her strong suit but she waits, and a tiny new hope grows within her and she desperately clings onto it, determination surging in her again as she prepares to embrace and fight whatever that may come. The war comes eventually and they fight with all they have, shedding sweat, tears, blood and even unwanted sacrifices.

When Hope sees Scott for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, his face peeping through the helmet, all bruised and battered, she runs to him, her legs taking off like the wind, and she nearly crashes into him, if not for him catching her with his arms. She jumps onto him, almost knocking him off balance, her soft hands cupping his stubbled cheeks, his strong arms supporting her. She catches his lips with hers, and they kiss with such fervour and passion, taking in each other's familiar warmth and touch, deprived of their love for each other so long. They hold on to each other tight, both thinking they're never letting go of each other again.


	20. Puppy Woes

"Daddy!", Cassie hugged her father from behind, her arms flung around his neck, who was sitting on the couch, holding a tablet in his hand. His ears perked up instantly when she called him daddy, a rare occasion nowadays, which hinted that she wanted something out from him. "Yes peanut?", a thin smile appeared on his face, and he looked over his shoulder, only to catch her with a cheeky grin.

"Can we get a dog?", she voiced out her request, her big, round eyes looking at him pleadingly.

 _Here it goes again._ He winced silently and placed the tablet next to him. "Did you ask your mother about it?" A few years back, Cassie had asked him the same question, to which he had cleverly avoided, claiming a puppy would require daily walks and it would be difficult to do so while he was on house arrest. He loved Cassie to bits and would give in to her every whim and request but getting a puppy or a dog just wasn't one of the list.

"Yes. Mom said if you agreed then I could get a puppy.", she's flashing her puppy eyes, her smile so sweet, he's a goner every single time when she does that. _Way to go Maggie._ He knew his ex-wife had pet allergies which meant the puppy would end up in his house and now she's shoving the responsibility of the bad cop to him.

"Who's getting a puppy?", Hope had walked in from the kitchen and sank down on the one-seater couch opposite Scott.

"Me!", Cassie exclaimed gleefully.

"That's great!"

Scott cast Hope a disapproving glance, shaking his head subtly, his lips pursed. She raised her forehead in query, but immediately understood his intentions. It was rare to see Scott not giving in to his daughter's request. Hope bit back a grin, but kept her ears open, not wanting to interfere with his parenting techniques, unless needed. Also, she was interested in seeing where this would be leading to.

He cleared his throat, trying to come up with another explanation to derail her request. "Look peanut...", he stroked her forearm fondly, putting up his best apologetic face. "A puppy comes with lots of..."

"Lots of responsibilities. Yes I know daddy. You said the same thing last time.", Cassie pointed out bluntly. She let go of her father and joined him on the couch. His eyes widened in surprise, startled that she had remembered his words.

"That's right. You're a child yourself, are you sure you're ready to take care of a puppy? It's like taking care of a new born baby."

"But you and Hope are having a baby."

"I'm not a child."

"Sometimes you act like one daddy.", Cassie cheekily quipped.

Hope let out a laugh, but stopped herself when Scott looked over. He shot his wife a sharp glance, his eyes seething with betrayal. She knew it was playful but also almost serious at the same time. A smug smile teased the corners of her lips. It was fun observing the dynamics of their relationship.

"And I'm not a child. I'm thirteen!", Cassie retorted.

"Thirteen or not, you're still a child to me.", he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Please...I promise I'll take care of the puppy!", she wrapped her arm around his, tugging it slightly, and looked at him attentively with bated breath, awaiting his decision.

"I...", he was tongue-tied and realised he was fighting a losing battle. He didn't want to reveal the reason behind his reluctance of getting a dog, not in front of Cassie. He needed a distraction. "I'm hungry! Let's get dinner!", he gave her a chaste kiss on the crown of her head, and stood up abruptly, and ran away from the living room.

"Dad!", Cassie whined.

"Don't worry Cassie, I'll ask him about it.", Hope winked at her step-daughter.

"Really? Thank you Hope!", Cassie looked at her hopefully, her eyes brightening. She walked over to Hope and gave her a hug.

...

"Why are you so reluctant to get a dog?", Hope asked later in the night, while she sat on the bed. Scott was sitting behind her, his hands lightly cupped on her shoulders, pressing into them, massaging the tension away.

"Mm?", Scott responded half-heartedly. He breathed in deeply, she smelled so good, he thought. His large hands had massaged over to the gentle swell of her abdomen and her lower back, soothing her discomfort. She moaned slightly in pleasure at the pressure of his fingertips. It had been a daily occurrence for him to do that, alleviating her sore muscles there.

"Stop distracting me Scott. I was asking about the dog.", she gasped, slightly breathless. She turned around to look at him. He stopped, his hands wrapped around her pregnant middle, and a sheepish grin broke on his face. She leaned on him, settling her head comfortably against his shoulder, and slid her hands over his, ready to hear his story. She enjoyed these little moments with him, amidst their occasional chaotic life.

"When I was a child, I got bitten by a dog. It was pretty traumatizing.", he recalled and shivered at the thought. It wasn't his fault, really. He was playing with his friends when one of them had decided to provoke a dog that came by, and the next thing he knew he was running for his life, away from the dog but it had caught up to him and bit his leg, much to his horror. Ever since then, he had tried his best to avoid puppies or dogs.

"Oh...", Hope bit her upper lip, trying to refrain herself from smiling. She noticed his ears had turned bright pink.

"Are you smiling? Jesus, Hope, it bit a chunk out of my leg!" He looked at her with disbelief, complaining in a dramatic tone and held his right leg up, showing a faded scar on his calf.

"Well, if it's any comfort, your leg looks fine now.", she giggled, her eyes lighting up in amusement, and kissed the side of his neck. "I used to want to have a dog, mainly because my parents were away, a lot. It can get a little lonely." Her parents were always away on missions, but it didn't mean they neglected her, they would still take great effort to spend quality time together. But her fondest memories were up right till before she was seven, obviously. "But then you know what happened, and I was sent to boarding school, so getting a dog wasn't really possible anymore.", Hope glanced at Scott with a thin smile on her face but quickly looked down. She could feel his gaze on her, observing possibly for the slightest change in her expression. Things were definitely great now, but it was still a little bit painful reminiscing the past.

Scott hugged her tighter. Hope deserved more and better, and he wished she had a normal, happy childhood. He respected Hank, and believed that he really love Hope, but he also thought he was a selfish jerk. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine.", she looked up at him and met his tender gaze. "But you could help make me feel better...", she turned around on her knees and pushed him onto the bed, shooting him a sultry look. He shuffled backwards while she straddled his lap. Soft long hair framed her elegant face and she looked even more beautiful with the pregnancy glow.

She saw his eyes lit up with excitement, a lustful grin spread on his boyish face. These pregnancy hormones were doing funny things to her system, and just the sight of him would sometimes make her restless and achy. His warm hands travelled under her shirt, gently rubbing the soft, bare skin of her baby bump and smoothly slid his palms upwards. Heat spread over her skin and she moaned at his caress. She grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him towards her, devouring his lips in a passionate kiss.

"Cassie's pretty disappointed...", she murmured between kisses.

The corner of his lips curled into a lopsided grin. She always had a way with him, and he falls for it every single time. "I'll think about it." He figured he could overcome his fears for his family, he thought hazily, his mind clouded with desire as she pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the bedroom floor.

...

"Why are we at an animal shelter?", Cassie asked as she trudged backwards on the pavement, facing Scott and Hope who were walking behind her.

"Because we're here to adopt a puppy! Or a dog, whatever you want peanut!", Scott revealed the surprise.

"Really? Thank you Hope!", she squealed in delight. Scott had already bent down and held his arms wide open, ready to hug Cassie but she had ran to Hope instead, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

"Wait, what?", Scott looked on, dumbfounded. They giggled in unison, seeing disbelief riding his features.

Cassie happily turned to him, her eyes bright and excited as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best daddy!" She turned around and skipped along the pavement towards the animal shelter, eager for her search for a dog.

"So you were playing the sympathy card yesterday?", Scott asked Hope with a silly grin. She glared at him and smacked him dead right on the chest in response, which made him flinch. "Ow! I was just joking!", he sputtered. He knew she meant every word when she poured out her feelings to him.

"But you fell for it.", she chuckled, her death stare quickly transitioning into a smirk.

He scoffed. "You got me this time."

They walked through the rows of pet shelters, with Scott silently dragging himself behind Hope, peering carefully at the variety of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats. It made him slightly uncomfortable, his face scrunched up like a timid child every now and then, whenever a dog barked or came too close to its cage.

"Dad! Hope!", Cassie yelled as she ran towards them, cradling a puppy in her arms, who was struggling to wiggle out. "Can we get her daddy? She's adorable!", she squeaked happily, standing in front of her father.

Scott froze and subconsciously took a step back which Hope had quietly observed. She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze in encouragement. He was surprised by her touch, not noticing that she had linked her hand with his. He relaxed and gave a her a small smile. At the same exact moment, the puppy had broke free from Cassie's embrace, and ran towards Scott, circling around his legs, waggling its tail and making tiny squeaking sounds. He was taken aback and nervous but dropped on his knees nevertheless, so he was at the same level as the the puppy. "Hey, you're cute!", he rustled the puppy's head and noticed how soft its fur felt against his palm. Enthusiastically, it jumped onto Scott, forcing him to hold the puppy with his hands while it affectionately licked his face. "Hey, hey, calm down!", he laughed heartily, tickled by it.

"She likes you daddy!", Cassie giggled. The puppy waddled back to her as she reached her hand out.

"Looks like we've found our puppy.", Hope grinned as she looked at Scott fondly, her arm wrapped around his waist as he hugged her close to him. He nodded, smiling broadly, as his gaze fell on Cassie playing with the puppy.

Some other day later, he found the three of them snuggled together comfortably on the couch at home, with Cassie leaning towards Hope, and the puppy laying it's head on Hope's baby bump, while she stroked its head. He takes in the adorable sight. Maybe having a dog wasn't such a bad idea after all.


	21. What Should Have Happened

Scott's riding a flying ant, flying through the stairways and hallways of Cassie's school, with Hope by his side. "Whenever you go back to school, isn't everything supposed to look so much smaller?", he muses. "This place seems huge...Ahhh!", he feels himself enlarging involuntarily, but before he could react, he falls off from the flying ant suddenly and stumbles onto the floor.

"What is it?", Hank's voice sounds through their earpiece when he hears Scott's yells.

"It's the new regulator.", Hope turns back to check on Scott, and sees that he has turned into the size of a child.

"Hank, what's going on with this suit? How much of a work on progress this is?", Scott questions as he hits the regulator multiple times with his gloves hands frustratingly.

As he is struggling to make the regulator work, at the same exact moment, the school bell rings and a horde of students rush out from their classrooms. A cold wave spreads through his body and panic rises in him. "Uh huh. Oh no. No no no.", he's making unintelligible sounds, his eyes frantically searching for an escape route. He sees a custodial closet on his right and makes a run for it, jumping high enough to reach the door knob. He succeeds in opening the door and rushes into it, and Hope zips into the closet as well.

"Come on!", he's growing impatient as he smacks the regulator again, and this time he grows larger, but too large. His head hits the ceiling with a thump, making it crack, and he winces in pain. He finds himself trapped in an awkward position and what's worse it's he cannot move his torso at all.

"Oh.", Hope tilts her head back with her hand on her abdomen and laughs heartily at the comical situation.

Scott stares at her incredulously. "What are you, laughing? Come on, please, can you just...", he looks at her pleadingly with his puppy eyes, helpless.

"Ok. Ok.", she tries to keep her laughter at bay but a giggle still escapes from her lips. With the click of a button, she grows back in size and climbs onto his lap to examine the regulator.

His gaze follows her, and he feels the warmth of her body brushing on his thigh. Heat flushes through his skin. He almost forgets how comforting she feels against his skin, even though they were full clothed.

"What do you see?", Hank asks.

"The sizing coils are malfunctioning. Just let me...", she meddles with the buttons on the regulator when he feels an electric shock zapping through his body from the regulator, snapping him back from his daydream, and he cringes in pain. "Ow!", he yells.

"Sorry.", she squints, apologetic.

"It's alright.", he reassures her.

She fixes the regulator with a jab of a few buttons. "Ok. Alright. Try it."

He presses the button on his glove, and he shrinks to his normal size, causing Hope to slide off his thigh at the same time, and she lands gracefully on the floor.

Scott pops his helmet off, spins around and finds himself face to face with Hope, both of them so close to each other they could feel their breaths. Startled, she let out a shaky gasp while he seems slightly out of breath from being too large a moment ago. It had been two years since they shared such an intimate moment. It would be an outrageous lie if they said they didn't miss each other, didn't longed for each other's touch.

He looks down subtly, his eyes flicking through her soft, pink lips and he absentmindedly licks his lower lip, the temptation to kiss her too hard to resist. He catches her stealing a glance at him, her gaze lingering on his mouth, and he wonders if she's feeling the same way too.

His lips were alluring and the thought of kissing him right now was enticing but they were here to retrieve the suit and she shouldn't get carried away. _Not right now._ Chasing the thought away, she looks up quickly, and this time, their eyes meet, connecting. A flicker of fire and lust gleams in his eyes and an electric surge coarses through her, making her spine tingle.

The tension in the enclosed space increases exponentially with their body heat. He swallows a lump in his throat. The desire to kiss her burns ragingly in him but he thinks he might earn a punch in the jaw instead. _Fuck this._ Pushing away his fears, he cups her cheeks swiftly and crashes his lips onto hers. The instant his mouth meet hers, it stuns her and her eyes bulges out in surprise. All coherent thoughts flee and she dissolves into her sensations and she closes her eyes. He kisses her ferociously, the kiss urgent and tender wrapping fiercely together. She still feels so good, he thinks.

A moment later, he breaks it off, gasping for air, his hands sliding downwards holding her arms. He stares at her, and she holds her gaze at him steadily and hungrily, wanting more.

"Guys...", Hank's puzzling voice buzzes through. "Hope? Scott?!"

Ignoring her father's calls, Hope desperately buries her fingers in Scott's hair and draws him close, landing her lips firmly on his. Her lips open over his mouth repeatedly, as if trying to suck the air from his lungs. Their kiss grow eagerly and intensely, his hands already on her waist, urging her forwards into him. They kiss long and hard.

"What on earth are you two doing?!" All Hank hears through the earpiece are gasping and breath sounds. He cringes, his open palm shooting up to cover his face.

She pulls away from the kiss eventually, both of them catching their breath, exhilaration taking over them. Much to his surprise, an earnest smile blossoms on her face, and he notices that her cheeks are a shade of pink. She observes that his hair is all muss up and a lopsided grin animates his lips, making him more attractive. "Hope, I...", before he could finish his sentence, his suit malfunctions again, and he shrinks to the size of a child.

"What?", he checks himself to see that he has turned fun size again. He clicks the button on his glove several times but it fails. "Awesome.", he sarcastically comments, annoyance written on his face.

She laughs at the hilarity of the situation and bends down to his level. "If only Cap could see you now.", she teases.

"Hilarious. What are we gonna do?!" His eyes falls on the pile of Lost and Found at the corner of the closet and she follows his gaze. She smirks at him and takes a blue-coloured hoodie out from the pile and gives it to him. He rolls his eyes, reluctantly taking the hoodie from her and wears it over his suit. A smug smile teases the corner of her lips because he looks absolutely adorable child size with a hoodie.

"Off you go.", she urges him towards the door. He glares at her, opens the door and peeks out from it before heading out. She shrinks herself and follows closely beside him, silently relieved that their unexpected moment was interrupted. She bites her lower lip, the taste of his lingering kiss still fresh on her lips.


	22. Bad Habit

It's a bad habit of Scott's, to drink milk or whatever straight out from the carton, something which had irritated the hell out of his ex-wife and Luis, to a certain extent. It's something that he refuses to change, until he met Hope.

Hope catches him a few times, doing said thing, whenever she comes over. He drinks milk from the milk carton in front of her and she narrows her eyes at him, "That's unhygienic.", her comment terse. He grins that silly grin of his and places the carton back into the fridge. She shakes her head, and tuts with disapproval. Hope makes a mental note to herself to not touch the milk carton whenever she's at his place.

One fine day, after she moves in with him, she walks in the kitchen and he's standing next to the fridge, with a milk carton in his hand.

Hope stares at him, arching an eyebrow. "Please tell me you're going to pour that out into a mug."

Her statement falls on deaf ears and Scott takes a swig out from the milk box nonchalantly.

Her stare turns into a glower. He notices she's staring daggers at him and yet he locks his eyes on her, and drinks another mouthful, a mischievous grin tugging the corners of his lips, completely unrepentant. He's challenging her and she knows it.

She strides over to him, holding her gaze steadily against his, and tugs the carton out from his hand, pouring the contents out into the sink, smugly.

A wrinkle of surprise appears on his forehead but his grin remains. Her gaze falls on the milks stains on his upper lip, and he looks absolutely delicious, and she wants nothing more than to wipe it off, not with her fingers but with her mouth.

 _Damn it._

"You're such a slob." She drags his chiselled jaw towards her and he lets her, not resisting one bit. Her lips part slightly enclosing his upper lip, and with the swirl of her tongue, she licks the stain off his lips, and proceeds to kiss him.

He thinks he's winning the war this time as he smiles like a giddy child against her lips. She pulls out from the kiss, but not before landing a punch on his abdomen, making him flinch in pain. "Don't ever do that again.", she smirks, her green eyes glinting satisfactorily when she sees him cowering in pain, holding his stomach.

He nods in surrender and he never does it again. God, he loves her.


	23. Not A Surprise Birthday

Hope doesn't do birthdays. In fact, she doesn't even acknowledge her own birthday. After her mother's death/disappearance, it was just too painful to celebrate. Over the years, her father would send her birthday cards, but they were always left unopened, or ended up in a waste bin. She gradually learned to forget about the day and would immerse herself in work or whatever that would keep her busy.

This year's no exception, except that Pym Tech imploded. Even though she was on speaking terms with her father, she wasn't ready to indulge in a celebration with him, not just yet.

On the morning of her birthday, she receives a birthday text from her father which she replies with a simple thank you. She's going on and about with her usual routine later in the day when the doorbell to her apartment rings. Hope wonders who could it be since she rarely had guests or friends who would come by. She opens the door and her eyes bug out in surprise.

"Hey Hope!", Scott chirps cheerfully, standing at her doorway. "Ha -", he's about to wish her but stops himself immediately when her brows furrow into a knot, eyeing at him suspiciously. He knows she's not fond of her birthday when she refuses to reveal it to him. However, last week, Hank had intentionally let slip to Scott that Hope's birthday was just around the corner. The sly old man.

"Why are you here?", she questions, crossing her arms as she leans against the door frame. Her gaze falls on the paper bag he's holding that's full to the brim with groceries.

"You didn't answer my calls or reply my messages. I got worried."

"I think that's the signal for do not disturb.", she sarcastically retorts, but with a small smile on her face. She's surprise she's not annoyed, instead there's a calming effect to his presence.

"Right. Can I...can I come in?", he flashes that charming grin of his, his puppy eyes glimmering innocently.

She heaves a dramatic sigh and moves away from the door. He scurries inside quickly, as if afraid she would change her mind.

He wasn't a stranger to her apartment, having visited it a few times. Her two bedroom apartment was neat and tidy, with clean white walls and polished light brown wood floors. The living room was sparse but bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows, finished with a minimalistic design. There's a white coloured fabric couch, a stark contrast with the black coffee table in the middle. A television set was absent, and there's a large bookshelf against the wall instead, neatly stacked with rows and rows of paperbacks and hard cover books. Photo frames were scarce except for a few family photos from her childhood.

"You decided to do grocery shopping before dropping by?" She watches him place the grocery bag on the kitchen counter and he starts unloading, meticulously arranging the items on the counter. It amuses her that he's a little bit of a neat freak.

"I'm making dinner for us.", a boyish grin spreads on his face as he twirls a tomato in his hand.

"You can cook?"

"Don't look so surprised! I can whip up a thing or two."

She cast a smile at him. It was interesting learning new things about him everyday.

She leaves him to his own devices and comes back a while later, only to find him wearing an apron, looking ridiculous and adorable at the same time. She moves closer to stand beside him, her shoulder lightly brushing his and sees that he's deftly whipping up what seems like batter in a bowl. She spots flour, butter, broken eggshells and pieces of chocolate on the table and she instantly knows what he's up to.

 _That idiot._

There's a reason to his sudden appearance at her apartment.

"Why are you making a cake?"

"Hmm?", he turns to her and her gaze falls on the smudges of flour on his nose and cheeks. She giggles at the silly sight. "Wanna try? I know you like chocolate.", he cleverly avoids her question, distracting her, as he tilts the bowl towards her.

She loves how he notices the little things about her. Hope squints at the batter and dips her index finger into the bowl, taking a pea-sized batter out of it. Her bright green eyes connect with his, and there's a glint of mischievousness, as she suggestively licks it off her finger. Her fingertip lingers at the corner of her soft lips, her eyes twinkling flirtatiously.

He swallows a lump in his throat, a lopsided smile animating the corner of his mouth. She's teasing him and he knows it. Two can play the game. "That's not nice. Not nice at all.", Scott shakes his head playfully.

"What are you going to do about it?", she teases.

He reaches his hands out to hold her waist, pulling her closer to him. She bubbles over with laughter as he lands kisses on her earlobe, neck, and lips. The counter presses on her lower back as he gently pushes himself against her, their lips working wonders against each other. Her hands finds her way to his belt buckle and she tugs at it, a soft moan escaping from her lips as he kisses a sensitive spot. Tension rises between them as their kisses grow more heated and passionate, but only to be interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell, again.

Scott sighs as she pulls away from the kiss and he notices the rising colour in her cheeks, and he just wants to devour her there and then. She tugs at his collar, pulling him in for another kiss before walking off to open door.

When she opens the doors, it shocks Hope to see Luis grinning widely and waving his hand enthusiastically at her, with Dave and Kurt by his side. "Hey Hope!"

"Oh God.", she groans. She instinctively closes the door in their faces and storms over to Scott, who had returned to pouring the batter into a cake pan, confronting him. "Why are your friends at my door?", she quirks a brow.

"Oh! They're here already?"

She stares at him incredulously.

"I invited them over.", a sheepish smile breaks on his face. "Come on, it'll be fun. They're fun!", he rushes to the door before she could react.

"Hey Scotty! Dude, your hot girlfriend just closed the door on us. Is everything okay? You know I was just about to wish her Hap -", Scott clumsily launches at Luis, cutting him off mid-sentence by covering his mouth with his hand.

"You're not supposed to say those two words, remember?!", Dave chips in, lowering his voice.

"Mean pretty lady is looking. Act normal.", Kurt says as he steals a glance at Hope, who's looking on suspiciously from behind Scott.

A sudden realisation hits Luis and he nods vigorously in understanding, nearly suffocating from Scott's tight grip. He flails his hand, signalling for his best friend to let him go. "Right right right. I got it. Sorry dude."

"Did you bring the booze?", Scott asks.

"We sure did!", Luis exclaims excitedly while Dave and Kurt holds up two cartons of beer bottles.

...

The five of them were sitting at the dinner table, having just wrapped up dinner.

"Scotty, I gotta say you make a mean lasagna man. Hope, you're so lucky.", Luis glances at Hope as she rubs his stomach in satisfaction. "My girlfriend, no, I mean my ex-girlfriend used to make this sweet apple pie, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You know what they say, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Hope snorts.

"Thanks Luis!", Scott grins.

"I get what you mean. That's how my ma charmed my pa in the first place.", Dave says.

"Yeah man, so Scotty, how did you and Hope, you know, got together. I mean, you told me you had an instant attraction to her right? And then her old man caught the both of you kissing, man, that must be weird...", Luis blabbers on.

Scott almost chokes on his beer. Hope glares at Scott but he pretends not to notice.

"You're talking too much.", Kurt kicks the chair that Luis is sitting on and he almost tips over.

"And it's time for cake!", Scott hastily interrupts, afraid that Hope might punch the living daylight out of Luis, or him. He brings out the cake from the fridge and it surprises Hope that its beautifully decorated with a layer of chocolate frosting topped with strawberries.

"Woah man, seems like the baking class in prison paid off!"

"Hope, would you do the honour of cutting the cake?" Scott grins and hands her a small knife, placing the cake in front of her.

She thinks he couldn't be more obvious about it but she strangely obliges, taking the knife from him. She flashes back to when her mother would used to bake a cake for her birthday every year despite her busy schedule. Tears sting her eyes and she quickly blinks it away, trying to keep it from falling. He notices her glazed eyes. He brushes his palm along her back and she snaps back, meeting his worried gaze. "You okay?", he mouthed. She nods subtly, and sinks the knife into the cake, while they cheer on.

Scott distributes the cake and he can't wait for Hope to try it. He takes a small piece of it with a fork and holds it in front of her, motioning for her to taste it. She smiles at his sweet gesture takes a bite.

"I have to admit, it's pretty good.", she nods her head, still smiling, complimenting him.

His entire face lights up.

...

Hope didn't know how she got into this situation, because she's stuck playing Truth or Dare with Scott and his three friends.

 _(Truth or dare.", Kurt suggests in his thick Russian accent, his expression flat._

 _"What are we? College students?", Hope scoffs at the idea._

 _"Have you played it before?", Scott asks quietly. He thinks that Hope's too serious and intense to play such a game._

 _She seems affronted by his question as she looks at him slightly open-mouthed. "Yes I have, but it was Truth or Dare or Strip.", her eyes gleaming playfully._

 _Scott gulps, and his thoughts began to wander inappropriately.)_

"Dare.", Luis picks as the empty beer bottle points at him. "Come on man, give me a good one."

"I dare you to stay quiet for 3 minutes.", Hope smirks.

"Oh man, that's a good one, but you know, I can't."

Hope can't help but laugh and the others break into a rambunctious laughter.

Scott turns the bottle and it spins to Kurt. "I pick truth.", Kurt deadpans.

"I have a question.", Scott raises his hand. "How do you keep your hair so stiff?"

"He licks it bro.", Luis quips.

"Man, that's gross.", Dave winces.

Hope looks on, entertained.

Kurt frowns at them, and she suavely combs his hair with his palms. "Lots and lots of hair cream." He shakes his head and not a strand of hair moves.

The three men burst into a fit of laughter while Hope snickers.

Dave spins the bottle this time and it's Scott's turn to play the game. "Yes man! I was waiting for this moment. Scott, I dare you to have a push-up challenge with Hope. Show us who's the man!", he sniggers.

"Dude, that's a good idea! I'm rooting for you Scotty!", Luis widens his eyes in excitement.

Scott shoots a glance at Hope, a smug smile teasing the corner of his lips. "You're up for it?"

"Why not?", she smirks and coolly takes a swig from the beer bottle she's holding, brimming with confidence.

They push away the couch and the coffee table, leaving a space in the middle of the living room.

"Ladies first.", Scott bows gentlemanly.

"No, we'll do it together. Anyone can do an extra push-up.", Hope reasons. "And we'll do it on our fists."

Surprise creases forms on Scott's forehead. "Oh, you're on!" This is exciting, he thinks. The three wombats erupt in whistles and laughter.

They get down on all fours, with their fists clenched against the ground, rising up on their elbows, their bodies straight as a plank. They look at each other smugly, both with fierce determination etching on their faces, in a competitive spirit.

"Ready, set go!", Kurt hollers.

...

"Seventy."

"Seventy-one."

They were still at it, both barely breaking a sweat, though Scott's starting to feel his physique falter, his hands trembling a little. Hope manages to steal a glance at him, and she notices a trickle of sweat starting to drip down his temple.

The three men were looking on in awe, still counting away.

"Eighty-five."

"Eighty-six."

"Come on Scotty!", Luis cheers.

Scott lets out a low grown, as he feels his hands almost giving way. Hope sees that he's flushed and perspiring. She wants to win this, but decides against it, so she's letting him down gently this time, just so he wouldn't feel bad about failing to beat her.

"I'm done.", she pushes herself up and stands up, staring at Scott.

He looks up at her, slightly perplexed. With all his might, he squeezes another two push-ups. Unable to bear his weight any longer, he lowers himself to the floor, fatigue settling over him.

Luis slaps his back. "I knew you could do it bro! You da man!"

Scott turns around and lies on his back, panting slightly and Kurt helps him up. Scott meets Hope's gaze, and she raises her forehead, throwing a small smile at him.

...

We hope you had a great day Hope! You know, especially today, because it's your - Ouch!", Dave kicks Luis in the shin. "Right, I forgot, sorry. Scotty, you coming with us?"

"I'm...You guys go ahead."

"Ooo, sexy times eh.", Luis wiggles his eyebrows at Scott suggestively.

"Luis!", Scott yells at him sternly and shoots an apologetic glance at Hope.

Hope arches an eyebrow.

Kurt slaps his forehead in embarrassment. "Sorry about that.", he pulls Luis to the door. "Thanks for the dinner.", and closes the door behind them.

Scott turns to Hope, a shade of crimson in his cheeks. "That was awkward."

Hope let out a soft chuckle, taking a step closer to him. "So, you're staying?"

"Only if you want me to.", he grins and tucks a stray hair behind her ear. Her hair is a little longer now and she seems to have no intention to cut it. He longs to thread his fingers through her silky hair but withdraws his hand instead.

"Did you let me win on purpose?", he asks softly.

"Maybe.", she shrugs, smiling. "Does it matter?" It's rare to find a man who's not intimidated by her strength. She figures she could let her ego go, just for him.

He knows she's more than capable of beating him and he knows she has a competitive streak and yet she lets him win. He couldn't be more in love with her. Scott doesn't say a word, he just looks at her with pure love and admiration. Feeling emboldened, he strokes her cheek with the back of his hand, and inches closer to her, pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

...

He's lying on his back, slick with sweat and breathing heavily, trying to recover from his explosive orgasm. He had just rode off her, and he's positive that she's going to be the death of him as she's still mounted on him, ready for more.

Her fingertips delicately brushes his lean rectus abdominis, and she thrusts her hips deeper into him, setting a desperate pace, aiming to milk every ounce of him. His hands are around her hips, supporting her, and he groans, feeling himself come close to the finishing line as she continues to move faster. He feels her body tense at the same time he lets go, and she moans softly in pleasure, her breathing shallow and uneven.

Hope collapses on him, shivering and reeling from her high, and she lays her cheek against his chest, synchronising her breathing with the rise and fall of his chest. They lie on the couch in silence, soaking in the moment.

"Don't think I don't know what you guys were up to today.", she says lazily. She knew from the start that they were at her place for her birthday, and she's silently grateful and thankful for their kind gesture.

A silly grin appears on his face, still in a daze. Scott realises he could hide nothing from her. He places his hands on her bare back, gently rubbing it. "Happy Birthday Hope.", the words escape from his lips in a whisper, making her feel warm and fuzzy. She surprisingly relents, letting him peel off her layers of armour. He kisses the crown of her head, and she smiles, sleepiness taking over her.


	24. An Ordinary Christmas

Hank didn't know how he ended up hauling a real Christmas tree into their house. He would be perfectly contented with an artificial tree but Janet had insisted on having a real one because she liked the sweet, refreshing smell of the spruce tree. After all, she had missed out on Christmas celebrations for the past thirty years, and so did he. So, they had drove out of town on a cold, blustery morning to find a Christmas tree.

"Are you alright there Henry?", Janet called out from inside the house.

"I've got it.", Hank grunted. He tried to shove the tree through the door, but the top of the tree barely scraped through the doorframe. "Great, now it's stuck.", he grumbled and threw his hands in an open gesture clearly indicating his frustration.

"What is it?", Janet peeked out from the door and noticed his brows were closely knitted together.

"I told you, the tree's too big."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"You just need to tilt it a little.", she grabbed the end of the tree bark, tilting the tree, almost making it fall on him.

"Watch out!", he held on to the middle of the tree, causing some of the green needles to fall on him.

"I'm sorry Henry.", she laughed heartily.

He let out a loud sigh. He could never get angry at her, not with that smile or laugh. Who was he kidding.

With great effort, they succeeded in bringing the tree into the house, which was now standing at the corner of the living room, next to the window.

"See, it's perfect!", Janet grinned widely, her pearly whites gleaming under the bright light. Seeing how happy she is, Hank could only nod in agreement.

"Now, for the decorations."

Hank silently winced.

"Remind me again why we're putting up decorations only to clear them away days later.", Hank complained as he handed Janet a silver star, the finishing touch for the top of the Christmas tree. They had been decorating the whole day and he was exhausted but his wife's mood seemed to get merrier and merrier as the day went by. He stretched his back. _He's too old for this, he thinks._

Janet decided it was a White Christmas theme so the tree was adorned with silver and gold ball ornaments, snowflakes and snow crystals. The green needles were decorated with fake snow and a string of candy canes encircled the tree.

"It's Christmas Henry, stop bring grumpy."

A small smile appeared on his face. It wasn't like he disliked Christmas, he was still adjusting to his homely life with Janet, even though this would be the fourth year of celebrating the festival together with his family. And being grumpy was a force of habit in him.

She had moved over to the fireplace, where potted poinsettias were placed on the mantle and twisted garlands of holly and pine were stuck on the two pillars of the fireplace. She started hanging stockings on the stocking holders above the mantel, Santa for him, Mrs. Claus for her, and four reindeer stockings for Hope, Scott, Cassie and Hailey respectively.

"This is...cute.", Hank ran his fingers through the stockings. God, he's turning into mush. "Too bad Cassie's not coming over for dinner this year."

"Why not?", she questioned with a twinge of disappointment.

He had completely forgotten to tell his wife. "She'll be on holiday with her parents." They had grown a certain fondness to the bright girl, doting on her endlessly.

"Oh."

"At least we'll get to see Hailey.", Hank smiled at the thought of his granddaughter.

"We just saw her two days ago Henry and you miss her already?"

"Why can't I miss her?", he retorted. He dearly loved his granddaughter, and he thought this was his second chance to be a better person for his daughter and grandchild.

"You're such a sap.", Janet teased him.

He rolled his eyes.

...

"I have to say, your mother's Christmas decorations are on point every year.", Scott commented as his eyes swept through the porch, where twisted chains of pine and holly and bundles of mistletoes hung at the porch railings with fairy lights intertwined together. Scott and Hope were standing in front of the door, with Hailey in Hope's arms, who was enamoured with the beautiful Christmas wreath hanging at the front door, her chubby hands reaching out to touch it. Hope smiled in response to Scott's statement. Ever since Janet was back, their home was warm, homey and inviting.

"Kiss-mas!", Hailey's green eyes were big and bright, as she clapped her hands in delight.

"That's right, it's Christmas baby.", Hope kissed her daughter's pink cheek affectionately. Their daughter was starting to appreciate the holiday season, getting excited as how a child should be during Christmas.

The door opened and Hank appeared, wearing an outlandish Christmas sweater, most probably an idea by Janet.

"Merry Christmas Hank!", Scott greeted cheerfully, laugh lines appearing at the corner of his eyes.

"Merry Christmas Scott.", Hank's face was impassive as usual.

"Really Hank? No hug? No a pat in the back?"

Hank's lips pursed in consideration. He sighed and stiffly extended his arm, patting Scott on his shoulder, a small smile appearing on his face forcefully.

"Nice sweater."

Hank grunted.

"Merry Christmas dad.", Hope leaned in and gave her father a gentle peck on his cheek.

He smiled. "Merry Christmas Hope."

"Merry Kiss-mas Grampa!", Hailey squealed and threw her hands out, wanting her grandfather's embrace. Hank's features immediately soften at the sight of his granddaughter, the corners of his mouth curling up into a genuine smile, as he took her from Hope, kissing the top of her head.

"Hi Hailey." Hank turned around and walked inside the house, cuddling her close while Scott and Hope trailed behind him, their hands around each other's waist. Hailey resembled Hope so much as a child, Hank's heart swelled infinitely with love every time he saw her. A mop of short curly dark hair adorned her pretty little face, her eyes were green and bright just like her parents and a few rare freckles had started to form across her nose bridge. Her most striking feature was her dimples near the corners of her mouth, exactly like her mother's. She grabbed his face and gave him a big smooch, instantly dissolving his 'bah humbug' attitude towards the festive season.

"Your mother's in the kitchen." Hank placed Hailey down, and she waddled to the Christmas tree, immediately enraptured by it.

Hope didn't need her father to tell her where her mother was, as the smell of freshly baked cookies wafted from the kitchen and she followed her sense of smell. Scott had already sprinted to the kitchen, ready to taste his favourite homemade cookies.

"Stars grampa!", Hailey said as she pointed to the fairy lights around the tree that blinked like the stars in the sky, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Those are lights Hailey. Lights.", Hank smiled and got down to her level and sat on the floor, watching her unravel the mystery of the tree.

"Stars lights!", she grinned, both of her dimples deepening, making Hank melt into a puddle.

"I guess you can call them that.", he ruffled her soft dark curls.

"Merry Christmas Janet!", Scott chirped cheerfully when he stepped into the kitchen, his gaze falling on the fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies that Janet had just taken out from the oven.

"Merry Christmas Scott.", Janet was wearing a matching sweater as Hank. She wrapped her arms around him for a hug. She was always kind and affable, a complete opposite from her husband.

"Merry Christmas mom!", Hope peeked through the doorway and she enveloped her mother in a warm embrace.

"Merry Christmas jellybean.", Janet hugged her tight and kissed her cheek.

Behind them, Scott was already munching on a cookie. He didn't care of it singed his fingers or burned his throat because he was already reaching out for another one. "These cookies are really good.", he mumbled with his mouth full. "You're the best Janet."

They turned around to look at him, and a silly grin teases the corner of his lips as he took another bite, completely unrepentant.

"Scott, no cookies before dinner!"

"What? Why not? I'm hungry."

Hope strode over to him and tried to swat his hand playfully but he eluded her attack, still grinning mischievously. "Remember last year when _you_ almost ate all of the cookies.", she raised a brow.

"But _you_ finished the cookies."

"There was only _three_ left.", Hope replied pointedly.

"Oops.", he said unabashedly. "Here, you try some.", he put a cookie into her mouth, secretly hoping to silence her.

Janet laughed at them. "Don't worry, there's more." She took out a bowl of cookie dough and placed it on the table. "And both of you can help with the last batch."

"Right on it mom.", Hope smiled at her mother, already scooping out a small bit of cookie dough with a spoon onto the baking tray, while Scott was stealing another cookie.

"I can see you Scott.", Hope gave him a side glance.

"Nothing escapes your eyes.", a lopsided grin spread on his face as he leaned towards her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Janet smiled at the sight and left them on their own, not wanting to interrupt their moment.

...

They were gathered around the dinner table, where the smell of roasted stuffed turkey, baked potatoes and bread and butter pudding floated in the air. Janet had spent almost the whole day cooking up a storm, making sure everyone would be well-fed and stuffed. The dinner was bathed with happy chattering, with everyone in a jolly mood.

"That's a very nice Christmas tree you have there Hank.", Scott complimented. Hailey was cuddled on his lap, cleverly eating her small pieces of turkey meat and potatoes, occasionally turning around to feed Scott, to which he willingly obliges.

"Yes, we went through great lengths to get it."

"As I recall, I chose the tree. You were just giving me the stink-eye the entire time.", Janet's tone was accusatory, but playful.

"I did not."

Hope bit her lip, trying to stifle a laugh. It was a normal occurrence for her parents to throw their banter around each other. Sometimes, they reminded her of herself and Scott. Scott looked at her with an apologetic smile, but she just shrugged, giving him a half smile.

"You wanted to choose the first tree we saw."

"They all look the same."

"But it was already shedding its needles."

Hank rolled his eyes. "No one would notice."

"But I will." Janet was a perfectionist, a trait Hope had definitely inherited.

"Did I mention? The tree nearly fell on me because it was too big to pass through the front door."

"What? Are you alright dad?"

"He's fine. It's the perfect size Henry..."

"Next year..."

"Mom, dad...", Hope voiced out, interrupting her father, thinking it was time to put a stop in their silly argument.

"We know Hope.", her parents said at the same time.

...

Hope looked at the stockings hanging above the mantle fondly, a small smile spreading on her face. She always treasured these family moments which she had missed out for a certain period on her life. She looked over to her father sitting on the couch, making silly faces at Hailey, who was giggling away. Hope saw a different side of her father after Hailey was born, a side that she didn't know he had.

"Wine jellybean?", Janet came over and offered Hope a glass of wine.

"I'm fine mom, thanks."

"Is there something I should know about?", Janet raised her forehead in suspicion.

Hope smiled shyly, her eyes falling on the stockings again. "Mom, I think you might need to get another stocking for Christmas next year..."

"You're pregnant?"

"You're what?", Hank looked up, stunned, his mouth slightly agape.

"We're having another bundle of joy Hank.", Scott grinned widely as he walked into the living room, overhearing their conversation. "Surprise!"

"I'm so happy for you, for the both of you.", Janet smiled from ear to ear, pulling Hope in for a hug.

"Thanks mom." She noticed that her daughter's face was glowing with happiness. Before this, she never thought there would come a day where she would see her daughter form a family of her own.

"Daddy!", Hailey clambered down from the couch and ran towards her father, dragging him to the Christmas tree. "Open presents?"

"Oh cookie, we'll open them tomorrow, right mommy?", Scott turned around to look at Hope.

"That's right baby. We'll open the presents tomorrow.", Hope made her way to them and sat down on the floor while Scott joined her at her side. She pulled Hailey closer to her, propping her on her lap.

"Santa come today?", Hailey asked, her eyes twinkling brightly and innocently.

"He'll come when you're asleep. Santa's a shy man.", Scott quipped.

"Hailey sleep now, Santa come now?"

Hope laughed, gently pushing away a stray curl from Hailey's face. All week long, she had been running around the house excitedly every time they put up a new decoration in the house. It was hard not to get infected with the festive mood especially with Scott being extra cheerful as well.

"Santa won't come now, but you know who will? The tickle monster!", Scott flexed his fingers into a claw, his hands making his way to her sides, tickling her. Her giggles bubbled over into laughter and screams as she tumbled backwards into Hope's lap.

"Mommy! Help!", she squealed in between laughter, clutching on to Hope.

"You're alright Henry?", Janet sat down on the couch beside him, whom she noticed was staring attentively at the family of three, the sides of his mouth slightly curling up. She stroked the side of his hair.

"We used to have that."

"And we still do.", Janet clasped her hand with his. "They're good for each other you know."

Hank grunted. "I know." He had come to respect Scott more after he helped get Janet back, but he had always thought he was an admirable character, despite always acting stupid on occasions.

Janet smiled. "Merry Christmas Henry.", she kissed his cheek.

"Merry Christmas love."


	25. Parenting

Hope comes home one day to find their daughter covered in chocolate stains, much to her horror. "Mommy! I miss you!", Hailey runs to her as soon as she steps foot into the house, clinging to her leg, and Hope's eyes bug out in surprise to see her face, fingers and palms smudged with chocolate.

 _Oh dear._

"Hey baby, I've missed you too.", she tries hard to squeeze out a smile, and she bends down to her level to inspect the beautiful and sticky mess she's in. "Did daddy give you chocolate?"

Hailey nods in delight, the sides of her lips curling up forming a wide smile, revealing a row of white neat baby teeth.

"Come here, let's clean you up.", Hope silently cringes. Scott was going to get a earful from her. She takes her small hand in hers and walks into the living room, hoping to find her husband.

"Scott? I was only away for a few hours and our daughter's covered in...", her gaze falls on Scott, who's lying on his stomach with his elbows propped up on the floor supporting him, intently studying what seems like a security floorplan and their ten-month-old son, Hayden, climbing all over him. He subsequently settles himself over his father's shoulders, his chubby hands reaching out to yank Scott's hair.

"Ouch.", Scott fakes discomfort, and he turns around to face their son. He pulls a silly face and Hayden's face scrunches up into a giggle.

"...chocolate.", Hope finishes her sentence, standing in front of him, still staring at the adorable sight before her. She can't pretend it's not making her heart melt.

"Hope! You're back! Your son has been climbing all over me like I'm a playground.", Scott chuckles as he looks up at her and his gaze shifts to their daughter, immediately understanding the situation. "Oh.", a sheepish smile breaks on his face, and he awkwardly runs a hand through his hair.

"Oh yes Scott.", her absentminded smile transitions into a glare in a split second. "How many did you give her? You know she's not supposed to have too many..."

"It was a reward for finishing her vegetables today and I only gave her a small piece, I swear. She couldn't have..."

Hailey giggles, feigning innocence. Even at a tender age, they have come to realise she's as cheeky as her father.

"You took another from the kitchen table did you?", Scott squints in suspicion. She was agile at climbing and reaching for high places.

"Scott, she has climbed onto the kitchen table before.", Hope recalls. Hailey had started climbing all over the house since the age of two, always trying to scale new heights, which occasionally, had given them heart attacks.

"Ma-ma!", their son tumbles to the floor from Scott's back and crawls to Hope, his entire face lighting up, clearly excited to his mother. He was a perfect mosaic of his parents, with soft dark hair, his father's eyes in the middle, a pair of dimples and a smile that would make the hardest of hearts melt.

"Hey sweetheart. I've missed you.", Hope picks him up, easily bouncing him on her hip.

"Ma-ma.", he babbles, his small fist clutching the collar of her blouse. He starts to fuss the moment he sees her, wanting to feed.

"Someone's hungry.", Scott comments. Quickly, he scrambles up from the floor, giving Hope a chaste kiss on her lips. He turns to their daughter, kneeling down to her level. They always made sure to bend down while talking to their children, ensuring proper eye contact. His brows knit close together, "You're not supposed to take another piece of chocolate Hailey, not without my permission." He calls her by her name to let her know he's serious, even though he's speaking to her gently.

"Sorry daddy.", she hangs her head a little, feeling guilty, flashing her sad puppy dog eyes.

"It's alright cookie.", he ruffles her dark hair. The moment he saw her sad face, he just didn't have the heart to reprimand her more. He just couldn't. And he knows she's smart enough to realise her mistake.

"We'll give it to you if you ask properly.", Hope bends down a little to stroke her cheek. "Now, daddy will give you a bath. Right Scott?", she shoots him a glance.

"Right. Ok. Let's go!", Scott picks their daughter up, putting her over his shoulders, making her squeal with laughter, and head out from the living room.

"Or shall I just turn on the sprinklers in the garden so you can run around and clean yourself?"

"Yay!", Hailey giggles louder at her father's idea.

"Scott! Don't you dare!", Hope calls out sternly, and she wonders if he does that when she's not at home. Hence, she thinks it's never a good idea to leave Scott with the kids alone.

"Just joking!", he hollers back.

...

Hope finds it hard to concentrate on the paperwork she's going through as her attention is diverted by the tiny hands that's grasping the edge of her work desk, a mop of dark hair bobbing up and down, and a pair of beautiful big green eyes peeking at her. It also doesn't help that Scott's lying down on the leather couch in her office, happily bouncing their son on his abdomen, pulling silly faces, making him erupt into a fit of giggles. It's distracting and she's not going to lie, it's making her melt into a puddle.

After the war, Hope and her parents had rebuild Pym Tech, and she had naturally assumed the position of chairman, again.

She hadn't catch a glimpse of the soft toy that Hailey was holding until she comes running into her, having decided to stop hiding from her mother. Hope lets her sit on her lap. "Mommy, look at my bunny! He's cute.", she happily shows it to her mother. Hope smiles in response, but places a scrutinising gaze at the soft toy. It definitely wasn't the definition of cute. It was an ugly bunny, the exact same toy that Scott had gave Cassie years ago.

"Scott, where did she get that? Did you give it to her?", she stares at his direction.

"Maybe?", he replies half-heartedly. Scott's carrying Hayden above him, blowing imaginary bubbles at his tummy, to which he adores.

She glowers at him but he pretends not to notice. "She's going to get nightmares Scott."

"Daddy says bunny will protect Hailey."

Scott grins. Their toddler was at the age of possessing a wild imagination, often thinking that there's monsters hiding under her bed or in the closet. He had to reassure her that the ugly bunny will protect her when she's asleep during the night.

"Ok. But you're putting her to bed the whole week.", Hope says dryly.

It was a daunting task settling their daughter into bed. It was like she turned into a completely different person. She was a brilliant sleeper before this but it all went downhill when she turned three. Often times, she would wail, scream, and protest which tested the limit of patience of her parents. She often wanted them to cuddle in bed with her, especially Hope. Furthermore, her separation anxiety at this age was another added problem.

"She'll sleep with us then.", Scott retorts. He sits up on the couch and places Hayden on his thighs.

Hailey squeals and claps her hands in delight, a happy smile blossoming on her pretty little face, her eyes brightening. She's clearly pleased with her father's suggestion. Annoyance appears on Hope's face immediately. She sees the satisfying smirk he's wearing and she continues to glare at him with disbelief. "Looks like someone is getting a taste of how the couch feels like today.", she replies snarkily.

"If you can sleep without me.", he teases her cockily.

God, she hates him when he's cocky but at the same time she finds him irresistible when he does that. She couldn't yell at him, not in front of the children. "Fine, but our kids won't be there to protect you tonight."

He turns his head to look at her, his eyes gleaming mischievously, a charming smile etching on his boyish face. "Hope, you can do anything to me."

Colour rises on her face when he casts her a cheeky glance. _Damn him._ She just might.


	26. Physicality

Hope hadn't put much thought into Scott, even though she secretly enjoys their verbal sparring, until she comes across him bare chested, tending to his wounds that she had inflicted during their training sessions. Her gaze cruises over his figure. He wasn't too muscular, but was lean and fit, and she can't resist but appreciate his firm and slight rounded pecs, and how they seem perfectly contoured to fit the shallow palm of her hand, and his well-defined abs. She stops herself before drifting away, bewildered at her own thoughts.

She hears him groan in pain when he touches his wound with a medicated soaked gauze. Suddenly, she feels a little bit guilty for being too hard on him, especially after their conversation in the car. "Do you need a hand there?", she narrows her eyes, peering at the abrasion wound on his right lumbar.

He looks up at her, surprised to see her staring at him. "I've got it." It stings, but was manageable. He offers her a small smile, but realises her gaze is lingering on his abdomen. "Like what you see?", he grins wider and proudly, teasing her. He seems bolder now, occasionally flirting with her.

She rolls her eyes and huffs out in annoyance. "Hank wants you outside for target practice." She walks away, trying hard to ignore the wild, erratic thumping of her heart.

...

Scott thinks she has the perfect shoulders, and her arms, he doesn't even know how to describe his love for her beautiful arms.

"When you're small, energy's compressed, so you have the force of a two-hundred pound man behind a fist a hundredth of an inch wide. You're like a bullet. You punch too hard, you kill someone. Too soft, it's a love tap. In other words, you have to know how to punch." Hope's talking to him but his attention is anchoring over on her well proportioned shoulders and arms and he's awestruck at how lovely her biceps look when she flexes. It's also distracting that she's wearing a sleeveless sports top because he can't help but stare. Still, he never expects her to be so lethal until he receives a blow on his face, which he suspects she did it out of spite because she hated him.

"How did you get these?", Scott asks as he gently caresses her well-toned arm. They're lying on the bed, with Hope curling up beside him, her back pressing against his chest. He loves how she's so strong and graceful at the same time.

"Get what?", she questions, puzzlement evident in her voice.

He smiles and responds with trailing kisses from her shoulder down to her arm instead. He relishes in quiet moments like these, cuddling with her in bed and doing absolutely nothing.

...

Hope likes his beautiful, clear green eyes. She thinks it's his most attractive feature, besides that disarming smile of his. Also, she likes the way he stares at her, when he thinks she's not noticing.

It's early morning and she's lying nearly half on top of him with her elbows propped up on his chest, her eyes wandering through his features. There's something childlike about him, the way his face is smooth with relaxation when he sleeps. His arm is hanging around her waist, just the way she likes it. She reaches out her hand, and lightly traces his eyebrow with her fingertip. She smiles and she wonders how he's such a deep sleeper.

His face twitches a little and she stops, quickly withdrawing her hand. He opens his eyes lazily, and there it is, his heart-stopping eyes. He blinks, clearing his vision, his gaze meeting hers. "Are you watching me sleep?", he smiles warmly, making her heart lurch.

"You sleep like a baby."

"Mmm..." He slides his forearm up his forehead, covering his eyes. He remembers his bed in prison, cold and hard, and he wouldn't trade this warm and comfortable bed for the world, especially with Hope by his side.

"It's cute."

His eyes shoots open immediately, seemingly affronted by her statement, as if his manhood has been challenged. "What? I'm not cute.", he scrunches his face in annoyance and she notices his eyes are burning bright and wild.

She chuckles, a teasing smile etching on her face.

"Let me show you how manly I can be." Scott flips over, straddling her with his thighs. Hope giggles, meeting his penetrating green eyes again, this time flickering with lust and desire. She kisses him before he even stoops down to, devouring him.

...

Scott likes the way her freckles are scattered across her nose bridge and cheekbones. He thinks it's like the constellation of stars, when he traces the outline of the speckles on her face with his eyes when she's fast asleep one day. He first catches a glimpse of it when they sparred, when she wore no make up, those light brown freckles, a stark contrast to her flawless, pale, smooth skin, and he marvels at how she still looks so beautiful.

She's sitting in front of the dressing table, and he's at the edge of the bed, silently watching her layering her armour. He's enamoured by the way she immaculately puts on her make-up, even though he thinks she doesn't need it.

"You're staring.", Hope looks at him through the mirror.

He breaks into a lopsided smile. "You're beautiful. I think your freckles are beautiful.", he confesses sincerely.

She returns his smile. He can be so sweet sometimes. But she knows he loves it because of the way he feathers her face with kisses every day.


	27. Mistletoe

They nearly didn't make it back for Christmas. Scott and Hope had been called to New York for a mission for a week, which had inconveniently disrupted their Christmas plans, more specifically Scott's plans. Their house decorations were put to a halt and he had to enlist the help of Luis and the gang, despite Hope's reluctance.

"Do the bad guys not have any regard for Christmas?", Scott mused as he stepped on the landing of the front door of their house. Warm fluid trickled down his right eye but he rubbed it off, unperturbed, even though it stained his fingers bright red.

"I don't think they care about Christmas.", Hope replied as she opened the front door. As much as she hated to admit it, she could feel her body start to ache with every move.

"Don't they have families? Friends? It's the holiday season for God's sake. Nobody wants to spend the holiday getting thrashed and punched and kicked. Certainly not me...", he rambled on but stopped short as something had caught his attention.

"Hope?"

She didn't respond, her attention strayed, their warm bed intruding her thoughts as fatigue started to wash over her.

"Er, Hope?", Scott tapped her shoulder lightly, bringing her back to her senses.

"Yes Scott?", she turned around to look at him, arching an eyebrow.

"We're under a mistletoe." She followed his gaze. He was looking upwards, at the small sprig of mistletoe that was hanging on the ceiling, right where they were standing. _Way to go, Luis!_

She diverted her stare to him at the same time he looked at her. She noticed his green eyes were already sparkling with excitement, a wide silly grin animating his boyish face. "It means we should kiss!", he exclaimed gleefully, his weariness wearing off instantly. Amidst the chaos, he missed having her all to himself.

Immediately, her immaculate brows furrowed, and her jaw slightly dropped open. She was amazed at how he can be still so upbeat in their exhausted state and how he was always so infectious with his cheerful exterior. He always had that weird effect on her.

"And you know how a mistletoe symbolises luck, and well, love, and because I love you..."

Hope erupted into a fit of laughter. She couldn't comprehend why he needed a reason to kiss her. "Oh, shut up and come here.", she beckoned to him with a finger, albeit still bubbling away with giggles.

He stopped and obeyed her command. "Yes ma'am!", he almost saluted. They kissed slowly, enjoying the moment, their bodies pressed against each other, their body warmth providing heat insulation in the chilly night. His hands were wrapped around her waist, applying gentle pressure, soothing her sore back muscles while she cupped his face tenderly, feeling his stubbled cheeks.

He loved the height difference between them. He didn't need to stoop down too low, only tilting his head down slightly while she didn't need to tiptoe. They were a perfect fit for each other.

A soft moan slipped past her lips, and he felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that his actions pleased her. It was always intoxicating, his kisses while the taste of her always left him exhilarated.

They broke apart, faces flushed.

"How am I so frostsmitten with you?" He's staring at her again, soft and endearing, grinning widely.

Hope rolled her eyes, even though he's making her heart flip. "Really Scott?"

"It's the only time of the year that I get to use Christmas pick-up lines.", he reasoned.

She chuckled softly. "Let's get inside. And you're bleeding, again.", she gently grazed his right eyebrow with the tip of her finger.

"I'm fine.", he shrugged. "Hope?"

"Hmm?" She enveloped her arm around his waist, leading them into the house.

"Maybe we should use mistlefoe instead of mistletoe, so anyone who's under the mistlefoe can fight each other."

"Never going to happen Scott."

...

The Christmas tree was bare, due to Scott's insistence that he decorate they decorate it themselves, unable to predict that they had only arrived back on Christmas Eve. It was one hour away before the clock struck midnight, and despite his body protesting that it was time to sleep, he was standing in front of the tree, hanging ornaments to his heart's content.

"You're over decorating.", Hope laughed, watching the man she loves hovering over the tree. She was lounging on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, her legs tucked beneath her. She sighed, a contented one. It was good to be home.

Scott took a step backward, hands on his hips and squinted, perusing through the tree. The tree was illuminated with LED lights, a red ribbon garland was wrapped loosely around the entire tree and varied ornaments were hung on it. Hope's side was simple while his was cluttered. The decorations were a mismatch, but it resembled them, completely opposite but a perfect match.

"I love it.", he glanced at her and grinned lopsidedly, green eyes gleaming earnestly. He picked up a paper bag that was left at the corner of the living room and pulled out two figurines.

Hope's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that us?"

"Don't you know? They sell figurines of us now. We're famous."

She chuckled. She couldn't care less about fame.

He placed the miniaturised version of them on top of the tree, then started busying himself with placing presents under the Christmas tree. Different sizes of presents embellished the base of the tree and Hope knew that most of it were for Cassie, who was going to spend the week with them. "And it's done.", Scott grinned widely, admiring it.

"So, is there anything under the tree for me?", Hope smirked.

"What? I'm not good enough of a present for you?" Scott walked towards her, a twinge of mischievousness in his tone. He settled on the couch with her and buried his face deep to the crook of her neck, planting kisses while inhaling the fresh scent of her shampoo. His happiness was indescribable, to have her by his side.

She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Are you going to wrap yourself with a ribbon?"

He pulled away, shocked. "How did you know I was planning to do that?!"

She laughed at his silliness. Sometimes, she wasn't sure if he was being serious or he just wanted to bring out a smile from her. It worked anyway.

"Naked?"

"Oh, definitely.", he winked.

She shook her head, smiled, her dimples becoming deeper. She linked her hands around the nape of his neck and pulled him close, meeting his lips with hers. "Merry Christmas Scott.", she whispered as she glanced at the clock, its hands striking midnight.

He returned her smile, so loving and so warm that it made her feel tingles from her toes upwards. "Merry Christmas Hope.", he kissed her nose tenderly. "You wanna hiber -mate with me?", he piped another cheesy pick-up line, flashing his signature smile which earned him a playful smack on the chest. He leaned back on the couch and the same time she crawled into his embrace. He kissed the crown of her head and closed his eyes while she laid her cheek against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

 _ **Thank you to whoever who's still reading! Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year people!**_


	28. Nicknames

"Butterball."

It caught Hope's attention instantly. She placed the book that she was reading on the side of the bed and stared to Scott. "Are you seriously naming our child that?"

He was gently resting the side of his face on her small bugle of her abdomen, his large palm skimming over it. It was a daily activity, for him to talk to their child, even from the beginning, when it was just a size of a pea. He raised his head, meeting her piercing gaze. "Well, not officially. It's just a nickname.", he titled his head sideways nonchalantly.

Her gaze narrowed, and the corner of her lips curled downwards disapprovingly.

"No? Okay, doughnut?"

She continued to stare at him incredulously.

"Marshmallow?"

"You're just listing down your favourite junk food."

He grinned unabashedly, his laughter lines at the corner of his eyes wrinkling.

"Smol bean? Cupcake?"

"Now you're just pushing it.", she gave him an impressive eye roll.

"Buttcheek." A silly grin blossomed on his face, and then he doubled over with laughter, laughing at his bad choices.

"You're this close to losing your privileges of naming our baby.", she held up her thumb and index finger with a close space in between.

"Are you sure she hasn't moved?" He was enamoured by her baby bump ever since she started showing. She loved how enthusiastic and ecstatic he was, considering this was his second child.

She sighed. "No Scott, not yet." All she felt was just flutter of movements which she had dismissed as bowel movements initially but she learned that they were actually quickening. It always lasted barely seconds, it just didn't last long enough to tell Scott about it.

He moved backwards and settled beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder. "She?", she quirked a brow. "What if its a boy?"

"I'm positively, hundred per cent sure that we're having a girl." He replied confidently, linking his fingers with hers. He was eagerly anticipating the arrival of their little one, hoping it would be a girl.

She scoffed. "We? I'm doing _all_ the hard work."

"And I love you because of that.", he looked at her endearingly, kissing the side of her head. He was grateful, this was everything he wanted, or even more. "But I recalled I did _some_ of the hard work.", he retorted smugly, whispering into her ear, his lips lightly brushing her earlobe, making her breath hitch. He pulled away too fast, oblivious to her reaction. "Okay, but what about pudding pie?", he was still throwing out names, not giving up.

"Seriously?", Hope groaned in annoyance. "I'm going to sleep", she easily slid under the covers.

"Chocolate?"

"Go to sleep Scott."

...

Hope was sitting on a stool facing the kitchen island looking at her tablet when Scott wrapped his arms around her shoulders, nestling his chin on her shoulder, and pressed a soft kiss on her left dimple. The smell of his aftershave was pleasant and refreshing. "Morning.", he murmured warmly. "I missed you in the shower."

"You missed me by two hours.", she commented sarcastically, but he could hear the smile in between her words. She was an early riser, unlike him. He chuckled softly and moved towards the fridge, pouring himself a cup of a milk and sat opposite her.

She was wearing his old, oversized university sweatshirt, looking absolutely adorable and lovely, making his heart trip all over itself. A mug of warm milk was clasped between her palms, and a jar of chocolate chip cookies was beside it.

"Craving for cookies again?", he smirked teasingly.

Pregnancy had made her craved for food she normally wouldn't indulge on a daily basis, and cookies was one of them. "Her choice of food probably takes after you."

"Her?", a lopsided grin appeared on his face.

"I mean...you know what I mean." She cursed herself silently for the slip of her tongue. He was getting into her head about their baby being a girl, which they wouldn't find out until her next appointment.

Suddenly, his entire face lit up as an idea had dawned on him like a tidal wave. "I know! We'll call her cookie! Because for obvious reasons, obviously..."

Hope wasn't paying attention because she was distracted by the flutters in her stomach again. However, this time, it was stronger, more like a tap, and it lasted longer. "Scott..."

"What's wrong?", he stopped abruptly and stared at her, puzzled. He noticed that she was suddenly all bright-eyed and perky.

"Come here quick."

He scooted over to her and she grabbed his wrist in a split second, placing his hand over her bump. "Hope, she's moving.", he gasped, grinning widely, green eyes glistening with awe as he felt the light tapping against his palm. An immeasurable amount of happiness gushed through him, bringing him back to the time when he first felt his first born move. "I knew it, she likes the name cookie."

"What?", she laughed. She would never hear the end of the nickname now.

He felt another tap again.

"She's definitely agreeing with me. Aren't you? I love _you_ cookie.", Scott pressed his ear against her abdomen, feeling the movements.

Hope smiled and ran her fingers through his dark hair. If someone had told her this was her future before this, she never would have believed it. "She loves you too."


	29. Nightmare

It's eerily quiet. Scott almost forgot how deafening the silence was and it's making his blood turn cold, as if it's winter. The only sounds he hears are his own breathing and his pounding heart, like it's going to break through his ribcage. He hadn't really notice of how beautiful the Quantum Realm was during the first visit and now he takes in everything. He doesn't even know how to describe the things he is seeing. It's beautiful, stunningly so, that it's wondrous and terrifying at the same time. There are bright lights threatening to tip his vision off, lines that's not straight nor wavy, specks of dust-like objects and microorganisms that he doesn't even know exist. It's trippy, as if he's consumed magic mushrooms. All of it seems like an illusion, a hallucination, dancing in front of him, difficult to grasp.

At first, he thinks this is not happening. Static noise comes through and he taps the side of his helmet, thinking it's malfunctioned. So he waits, patiently, pretending he's not freaking out internally. _They're coming for me. Hope is coming for me._ His eyes dart to and fro, hoping to spot her familiar figure, but she never comes. His palms start to sweat, his breathing gets louder, and his heart is beating in a frenzy. His throat runs dry and he feels constricted in his suit as the hours passed by. He's not even sure of the time that's ticking by. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Because it seems like an eternity. This isn't happening, he screams inside.

Scott doesn't understand why they had left him there. He cracks his head thinking for the most plausible reason. He was pretty sure that they had forgiven him for his bad choices, didn't they? Is this a form of revenge? Do they think this a joke? He feels a sense of betrayal, his denial turns into anger, balled up inside, with nowhere to vent. In frustration, he throws his helmet off and drags his fingers through his hair, his thoughts driving him insane. He wasn't kidding when he told Hope that the place melts your mind.

He finds something to focus on. So he thinks about Cassie and he remembers how her voice had helped him to escape the Quantum Realm but all he hears now is his own loud thoughts. He visualises her face, relieved that her face is still crystal clear in his mind and he calms down a little. He thinks about how she was always so proud and supportive of him despite of the things he had done and his determination to get back to her increases. And then there's Hope, the irony of her name in his situation makes him let out a strangled laugh. He thinks of her beautiful green eyes, always lighting up whenever he says something silly. He could see the way her dimples deepen whenever she smiles and he hears her laugh, always so pleasant to his hears. He thinks of her, the smell of her, and the way she feels when he holds her close. He allows his worries to release, lightening the load and rising tension in him.

Scott's happy thoughts doesn't last long when all of a sudden he finds himself in his house, and he's anxiously raking through his surroundings when Cassie appears from the corner of the hallway. "Daddy?", she calls out to him with a frown on her face, her lips curling downwards sadly.

"Cassie?", he looks at her with uncertainty.

"Why did you leave daddy?"

"What? No. I didn't leave peanut. I'm right here.", he explains hurriedly, perplexed. He steps forward but she backs away at the same time. "I'm never going to leave you peanut."

"But you did.", she turns around and runs, disappearing into the corner before he could react. At that moment, he thinks he's living his worst nightmare. A mixture of emotions - guilt, uselessness, and disappointment thunders over him. He tries to chase after her but she's gone and he bumps into Hank instead.

"Scott, I told you not to tamper with the regulator.", Hank remarks austerely, impassive as usual.

"It was the only way to get back Hank. I need to go back. Cassie's waiting for me, and Hope..."

It shocks him when the scene changes and suddenly he's in the bedroom and he sees Hope lying listlessly on the bed, with dried tear stains on her cheeks. "Hope?", he kneels down at the side of the bed but she can't seem to see or hear him. He notices she's gazing at a picture of him in her phone. Panic and fear seeps through him. "Hope, I'm right here. I'm not dead. Look at me!", he cries out. She looks up and meets his gaze, and for a moment it alleviates his fear but it hits him again like a tidal wave because she's staring right through him, as if he's not there.

Scott's face is contorted into a grimace, like he's in agony, and he's whimpering, like a child troubled by nightmares. Beads of sweat start to form on his forehead and his breathing becomes erratic, almost hyperventilating. "Scott? Scott?", Hope asks quietly, lightly shaking his shoulder. It startles her that he's making tiny, upsetting noises which she had never heard coming out from him before. She tries to pull him out from his disturbed sleep but he only squeezes shut his eyes tighter.

"Hey, it's alright.", she murmurs softly, worry creases appearing on her forehead as she caresses his sweat-ridden face gently. He's not running a temperature, she feels. She starts to worry because she's never seen him like this. He's having a nightmare, definitely. Hope's had her fair share of nightmares before, mostly about her mother's death (before knowing the truth) and Hank abandoning her, which was partially true.

"Scott..." She thinks it's better to wait for him to calm down and he does, but his face is still twisted.

He hears her voice, muffled, and he thinks it's not possible because he's still stuck in the Quantum Realm but her voice gets clearer and his eyes shoots wide open, and he's staring at her concerned gaze. "Hope!", he croaks, his voice dry and raspy. "You're...here." He's confused and he blinks repeatedly, making sure that it's her in front of him.

"Where would I be if not here?", Hope strokes his cheek and he feels the warmth of her palm and it sends an electrical surge zapping through his body. _She's here! She's real!_ A wave of relief sweeps through him and he relaxes, steadying his breathing.

"Nightmare?"

Scott runs a hand through his tired face and realises he's covered in sweat. He nods subtly, hoping she wouldn't catch it but she does. "I must have forgotten to wash my feet.", he jokes, but she knows it's just to cover up his uneasiness. She always thinks it's his protective mechanism, to hide his vulnerability and insecurities.

"You wanna tell me about it?" Hope's fingers card through his hair, the movement so soothing it's almost putting him to sleep.

He hesitates, but she doesn't push him.

She's about to turn around and move away from the bed when he grabs her wrist suddenly. "Please, don't leave me.", he whispers softly, almost pleadingly. It's the first time she's seeing him so exposed and vulnerable that it alarms her.

"Don't be silly, I'm not going to leave you.", she reassures him, placing a soft kiss on the side of his head. He sits upright on the bed and he watches her leave the room and suddenly the similar fear overtakes him, and he pinches himself to make sure he's not dreaming. _It hurts._ He's not dreaming. He lets out a loud sigh. Hope comes back a while later with a mug of hot chocolate and hands it to Scott.

"Hot chocolate?" He takes a sip from it, feeling the warmth spreading to his palms from the bottom of the mug.

"Cassie told me you used to make her hot chocolate or tickle her when she had nightmares, but I don't think the latter would be a good idea.", she smiles warmly and one of her hands travel to his hair and she combs through it with her fingers. Scott returns her a small smile, and it tugs at his heartstrings because of the details she remembers about him.

"I wouldn't mind getting tickled...by you.", Scott lets out a nervous chuckle. He rarely gets embarrassed, but he is a little ashamed now. He wasn't a child and he shouldn't be getting nightmares, and what's worse he actually felt weak, fragile and delicate. He's not meeting her gaze, but he could feel her watching him, waiting for him to reveal his nightmare. He focuses on the foot end of the bed instead. He inhales sharply and releases a deep breath. "I was in the Quantum Realm again and everything felt so real, and vivid, and then I saw you, but you seem to think I was dead. God, that was painful...", he cringes, "...and the worse thing was Cassie thought I had abandoned her...", he chokes slightly, tears threatening to fall but he holds it back.

Suddenly, he feels her wrapping her arm around him and then she's resting her forehead against the side of his head. She doesn't say a word, but she just hugs him. Scott knows she's not good with comforting words but he doesn't mind because he feels completely at ease the moment she hugs him. It's not her fault but she feels responsible for what he has been through. Her mother had nightmares too, after coming out from the Quantum Realm. Hope just didn't really expect Scott to have nightmares because he was always so laid-back and cheerful.

They stay like that for a moment, a comfortable silence hanging in the air. A while later, Scott leans back against the headboard and Hope follows suit but she rests her head against his chest, one of her arms wrapping around his shoulder. "I'm sorry Scott.", she manages to say. "I didn't intend to leave you there. And I would never leave you just as you promised that you would never leave me again as well." She closes her eyes and flashes back to the time when they were reunited after the war and how he had made the solemn promise.

He smiles a little and he slips his arm around her, hugging her tight. He thinks he's the luckiest man in the whole wide world to have her by his side, to have his whole family by his side. And all is well.


	30. Forever

Scott swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, but he's wearing a wide grin on his face, grinning like a madman. He wrings his hands anxiously, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels. It's not his first time and yet he feel nervous nevertheless. He never thought he could experience this the second time. Luis is beside him cracking jokes, clearly unable to contain his excitement too, but he digests nothing of it, only hearing the pounding of his heart.

His daughter, Cassie walks down the aisle first, all dolled up in a beautiful strapless white-coloured dress, carrying a miniature basket of flowers, with two rings sewn on the basket holder. She grins at her father, almost wanting to skip down the aisle, truly happy for him. He returns her grin with a smile, marvelling at how grown up she looks already. She almost jumps on him when she stops beside him, pulling him in for a hug, while he places a kiss on her cheek.

He smooths his suit, and when he sees Hope walking down the aisle, looking incredibly beautiful in the strapless ivory coloured wedding dress with her dark hair in a pull through side braid with strands of it falling and framing her face, he thinks he's seeing an angel. The whole world stops into a blur and his gaze focuses on her and on her only. His wide grin immediately transitions into a soft smile and he's staring at her with the purest love. Their eyes meet and she gives him the brightest, affectionate smile, taking his breath away. Dear God, he loves her with all his heart and even more. She didn't want a wedding ceremony but he thinks she deserves the best and he's glad he talked her into this because it was worth it seeing her in a wedding dress.

...

"Hope, you're ready?"

She hears her father calling for her and takes one last look at the mirror, smoothing her wedding dress, her fingers trembling a little. She wants to tell him she's not prepared but she shakes away the thought. _Too late to back out now Hope._ She couldn't believe that she had let Scott convince her for a wedding ceremony. But she could only blame her pride as he had teased her for being too afraid and she's never afraid and look where she's at now.

She turns around to face her father, letting out a shaky breath before nodding and she links her arm through his arm. Her father smiles proudly, grateful that he's able to accompany her for this special occasion. She barely squeezes out a smile in return, thinking she's going to pass out.

By the time she realises it, her mind not connecting to her feet, she's already walking down the aisle. It's a small and private ceremony, and yet she can't help but slightly dip down her head when everyone's eyes are on her. She looks straight ahead, anchoring her attention on Scott immediately, who's standing tall, both of his hands clasp together in the front, looking absolutely handsome and impeccable in his black tuxedo. Her heart skips a beat, and her stomach churns. Until now, the sight of him still gives her the butterflies. When she meets his steady gaze and disarming smile, her bundle of nerves dissipate instantly, only reinforcing her love for him. She's ready to spend the rest of her life with him and if he thinks he needs her to proclaim her love in front of everybody, she's going to do it. Simply because she loves him.

...

Hope stops opposite Scott and Hank gives her a warm hug which she returns. She hugs him tight, a smile on her face, never imagined that one day her father would escort her down the aisle. When they pull away, she swears she could see tears brimming in his eyes but it disappears quickly. Hank places her hand in Scott's and he links his fingers with hers. He gently brushes his thumb against her knuckles while giving her a knowing smile, which she squeezes his hand in response, both of their anxiety and worries melting away. Hank firmly pats Scott's shoulder, smiling warmly for what Scott thinks it's the first time, and he takes it as an acknowledgement, welcoming him into the family officially. Hank walks away and joins Janet at the front row seat, who's beaming proudly at them.

"You look beautiful.", Scott leans over and whispers in Hope's ear.

"Let's just get this over with quick and I'll let you undress me later.", she bats her eyelids at him, a teasing smile dancing at the corner of her lips.

His eyes sparkle in excitement and they take their positions in front of the pastor, his hand still holding on to hers. They barely register the pastor's speech and Scott's already uttering his wedding vow. Silence hangs in the air and he clears his throat, holding his gaze against hers, his green eyes gleaming earnestly. "Hope, you'd probably going to laugh at me for being cheesy but these are my promises to you.", he grins lopsidedly but turns serious in a split second. "Hope, I vow to make you happy, to make you laugh, to cherish you, and to always be there for you. I promise to be your sidekick, best friend, battle partner, and your husband. And I promise you myself." He holds both of her hands and he bends down slightly, placing a kiss on her hand.

He looks so serious when he's saying his wedding vow that it amazes her, showing a side of him that she rarely sees. It makes her want to laugh in the beginning but when he finishes his vow, he notices her eyes are glistening with tears. She's biting her lips, albeit smiling, trying to refrain her tears from dropping. At that moment, he just wants to grab her face and kiss her.

A lump rises in her throat but she forces it down, ready to say her vow. "Scott, I never thought I would have fallen in love with you. Thank you for loving me and teaching me how to love. You're my best friend, partner and soulmate. I promise to love you unconditionally, to comfort you in times of trouble, to achieve our goals together, to laugh and cry with you and to cherish you for as long as I'm with you." She's looking at him tenderly, a wide smile etching on her face.

He's smiling ear to ear when he hears her vow. To be honest, she wouldn't need to say a word and he already knows that she loves him. He couldn't keep his hands to himself so when she completes her vow, he's already reaching out, cupping her face and catching her lips with his before they could exchange rings. They kiss slowly and deeply, relishing in the moment, completely unaware that the small crowd had erupted into a rambunctious cheer. The moment was theirs as they seal their vows and love with a kiss, wordlessly swearing that they're going to love each other forever, in sickness and in health, for richer of poorer, for better or worse and in peace and in battle.


	31. Argument

They had a fight. Obviously they had disputes and disagreements before, with both of them secretly enjoying their verbal sparring, being the ultimate spark of their relationship, but this argument was different. Scott had raised his voice and Hope had snapped at him but not in her usual playful banter way. She had left abruptly in the middle of the argument, back to her ways of shutting people out, while he stood there, letting out a heavy sigh, subsequently walking out of the house to take a breather.

He had found two flight tickets to New York lying on the work desk in their study room on the day they had received a call for a mission. They hadn't had a chance to talk about it and he wasn't sure if she was going but he was sure now. "You're going to New York with me?", Scott frowns as he walks into their bedroom, noticing that she was already packing.

"I _believe_ it was addressed to both of us.", Hope quirks a brow, sensing his particular unpleasant tone. It's the first time he seemed slightly hostile, which alarmed her. It wasn't like him.

"You're pregnant.", he comments, eyebrows still drawn together. He had been a little overprotective after the war, after almost losing her, but even more now.

"I'm pregnant, not incapacitated.", she retorts, trying hard to suppress her rising annoyance.

"Anything could happen. It's risky. Too risky.", he holds his gaze at her. His ears were starting to turn a bright pink colour, as he feels a flush creeping onto his face.

"I'd only be doing mission control." She's slightly disappointed and already restless for not being able to be out there in battle even though she knows it's for the best. Furthermore, she's already feeling insecure and slightly useless and all she hopes is she's still able to partner with him during a mission, even if it's only through a command centre.

"What if the building is under attack?", he's flustered and he raises his voice. All he's afraid is if he cannot protect her.

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself.", her expression dulls, not wanting to give in.

"You're almost seven months pregnant Hope. I _can't_ let you go.", Scott looks at her pointedly, jaw set with determination.

"What did _you_ just say?", Hope stares at him, incredulous, her green eyes burning right through him. It pulls her back to the time when her father was against her in becoming a superhero and how it had frustrated her. She wasn't going to let herself be controlled again.

"It's dangerous. I'm only looking out for you and our child. I really can't let you do this.", he clenches his haw, not wavering one bit.

"I'm ending this conversation right now.", she snaps, glowering at him and storms out from the room, or rather she feels, pathetically waddles out. She dislikes letting her emotions taking over her.

Scott stands there, a muscle in his jaw twitching, his lips set in a hard line.

...

"Scotty?", Luis pats his shoulder, snapping him out from his daydream. "Trouble in paradise?" He's been observing his best friend drinking away his misery, thus having an inkling that something might have happened.

"We had a fight.", Scott focuses on the glass in his hand, swirling its contents.

"A fight? Like a, like a, she kicked your ass kinda fight?"

Scott stares at Luis, brows knit into a frown. He lets out a hearty sigh and tells Luis the whole story and he listens, occasionally wanting to cut in but he doesn't give him a chance to.

"You're making her feel left out man. It's like how I feel when you guys have a suit and I don't. Man, I wish I had a suit.", Luis looks at Scott, all bright-eyed and hopeful.

"You're not getting a suit Luis.", Scott deadpans.

"You gotta make up with her Scotty. You don't wanna regret it, especially when you're about to go on a mission. I mean, what if something happens during the mission? Like, I'm not cursing you or anything, and you're my best friend, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you but things are unpredictable ya know..."

Somehow, Luis' words had strike his deepest fears.

"What -what do you mean?", Scott gulps, he feels alarmed, and he starts to think about Hope. When she had walked out from the room, he didn't chase after her, and he had no idea whether she was still in the house or had she went out, just like him.

"Like I had a cousin, he and his wife used to argue a lot, but one day their fight got really really bad, like for real bad, and his wife just walked out, and she never came back."

"What happened?", Scott raises his forehead, curious.

"She died man. Got knocked over by a car."

Immediately, Scott's eyes widen in fear and he starts to panic. "I -uh, gotta go.", he places the glass on the table and rushes off.

...

Scott returns home hastily, albeit slightly tipsy, and is relieved to find Hope safe and sound in their bedroom. He's hoping he could crawl into bed quietly in the pitch black room but he unintentionally stubs his big toe at one of the legs of the side table.

"Ow-!", he growls lowly, clutching his right foot as he feels the throbbing pain while balancing himself on the other leg. "Shit.", he curses.

"Scott?" Startled, Hope's ready to break into her fight stance even though she knew Scott was the only other person to access the security system in their house. Her anger had toned down and she was starting to worry about him, right until she had received a text message from Luis, revealing that Scott was at his house. She had been tossing and turning in bed, their argument replaying in her mind, and was only about to fall asleep.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Please don't kill me.", Scott mutters jokingly, holding out his hand, knowing she'd probably be ready to give him a flying kick, even though he's unsure if she could see him clearly in the dark. He swears he could almost hear her letting out a soft stray giggle, _almost_ , but she keeps her mouth shut.

"Have you been drinking?" Hope could smell the tinge of alcohol in his breath.

"Uh - yes..." He runs his hand through his hair, making it stick up at the ends. He stands at the side of the bed for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the dark and he could see the outline of her, sitting up on the bed. His throat tightens and feeling of guilt hangs heavily in his chest.

"I'm sorry.", Scott utters. He observed that her posture relaxes and she rests her palm on her belly. It just makes him want to crawl into her mind and see what's inside. She doesn't reply so he climbs onto the bed. "Look, I know you'd probably could summon a whole army of ants while _in_ labour or take down a legion of soldiers or aliens or whatever it is, because you're that amazing but I'd still worry...", he gives her a side glance and a glimmer of smile appears on her face.

"I surely hope that doesn't happen." She's excited and terrified at the same time, but she'll save the topic for another day.

"I'd be a terrible husband if I let that happen.", he gives her a half-smile. "Hope, I can't stop you from doing what you love so I can only support you instead." He knows she's as stubborn as hell and she'll go ahead and do it anyway despite his objection.

"Like you always do.", she smiles softly, taking and guiding his hand atop her swollen belly.

"Mmm, I'll never get tired of this.", Scott murmurs as he feels the light kicking of their child against his palm.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you too.", she strokes his stubbled cheek. She disliked fighting with him, it just wasn't like their usual banter.

"Let's never fight again.", he proposes.

"Is that even possible?", Hope scoffs.

"I'm pretty sure it's possible. I mean, even if it's not, we could have a hot heavy make out session at the end.", Scott winks at her.

She chuckles. "You're drunk."

He places a tender kiss on her left dimple. "I might be." He pulls her close and wraps his arms around her, gently laying his head against her baby bump, making himself comfortable in her embrace. His eyes start to close, sleep taking over him but he promises solemnly, that no matter what happens, he's ready to protect her with his life.


	32. Chapter 32

"Here, let me show you.", Hope moved her left foot slightly forward, both of her feet planted firmly on the floor as she held both her arms up in a defensive position.

"Like this?", Cassie looked at Hope attentively, her eyes round and big, as she followed suit. They were at Hank's basement in the training room, and Cassie was standing in front of Hope, ready to pack a punch. Hope smiled as she observed Cassie's fight stance. Much to her surprise, Cassie had requested Hope to teach her how to right, much to Scott's faux dismay. Still, he thought it was a great way for them to bond with each other.

Hope nodded, trying hard not to laugh as she gently took Cassie's right hand and positioned it nearer her chin. She thought it was pretty damn cute that the little girl was trying to act as tough as she can be. "Alright, you're good to go, I mean punch.", the corners of her mouth still curved into a smile, she put both of her hands up, palms facing Cassie. "Show me how hard you can punch."

Cassie's brows begin to furrow in concentration and Hope could see the determination etched on her face. She remembered when she first picked up martial arts and it helped her in becoming more focused and controlled. Also, it was a channel for her to direct her frustrations, and the hobby served her well, both emotionally and physically.

Cassie shifted her weight to her left foot, twisted her shoulder and extended her right arm straight into Hope's palm. It was more of a very light tap, the kind of energy a eight-year-old could muster, but Hope pretended to lose balance and stepped backwards, almost falling.

"You're pretty good at this.", Hope commented as she regained her posture.

"Really?", Cassie's entire face lights up, eyes twinkling and Hope thought it was almost a striking resemblance with her father's face.

"Your dad couldn't make me fall backwards.", Hope winked at her, which was true.

Cassie giggled. "Daddy said you're strong." It was adorable and it made Hope melt into a puddle. She thought it was extraordinary at how well she could get along with her because she was never exceptionally good with children. Being an only child growing up, and considering she wasn't a social butterfly and more of an introvert, she didn't make many friends along the way, not that she would have mind. Her area of interests were far more advanced than her peers.

"Really?", Hope smiled widely and she thought it was sweet that Scott had mentioned her to Cassie.

Cassie nodded. "I wanna be strong like you and daddy."

"I'm pretty sure you will be. You could even show your dad a few moves after this."

She had her practice a few more punches before moving on to the punch bag, where she taught her how to do a side kick. Hope got into position and bent both of her legs a little, moved forward and powerfully singed the kick to the middle of the punch bag, causing it to sway to the opposite side.

Cassie looked on in awe and excitedly imitated her move. Her kick had only caused a small dent and the punch bag didn't move a bit, but she still squealed in delight. "I did it!", she jumped, holding her hands up in victory and hugged Hope, burying her head into her stomach, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, almost making Hope fall over.

At the same time, Scott had walked in but stopped in his tracks. He looked on, with a stricken face, surprised, but he can't help but smile.

Hope froze at the contact. She wasn't used to hugs, especially a surprise hug, from a child. She inhaled sharply, relaxed and hugged her back. This is nice. "You sure did.", she replied and she almost, almost wanted to kiss the top of her head.

 _She's not your daughter._

 _Not yet._

 _No._ She pushes away the thought.

It scared her of how deep the level of intrusion and impact of the father-daughter duo had on her.

So, she ruffled her hair instead.

Hope looked up and caught sight of Scott standing at the door, staring at them, his expression so soft that it makes her heart flutter. _They could be your family._

 _But they are already family, aren't they._

Hope gently pried off Cassie from her and bent down to her level. "Why don't we take a break and you could ask Mr. Hank all about the ants for your assignment?"

"Okay!", Cassie piped cheerfully, and ran out from the basement, but not before bumping into Scott and giving him a quick hug.

"Hey." He's giving her that look again.

"Hey." She swore her knees are going to give way.

They stared at each other for a few fleeting seconds.

"Thanks for doing this Hope.", Scott took a step towards her, wringing his hands. Seeing her with Cassie, he wants to tell her he loves her so badly, but he couldn't, not yet. "This means a lot to me.", he touched her arm and she doesn't flinch, and she let him slide his hand down, intertwining his fingers with hers. He squeezed them lightly.

"Aren't you going to say something?", a goofy smile appeared on his boyish face.

She looked away, shook her head and smiled. She doesn't know how he could be so sweet at the same time and yet had a knack for ruining moments like these. _You mean a lot to me._ Hope decided to leave him in the dark about it, and instead fondly cupped his cheek and kissed the corner of his lips. "I'll see you upstairs", and walked away.

…

Hope glanced sideways at Scott, and her eyes travelled to his hands, and she sees his tightened grip against the steering wheel. His heavy brows were slanted in disapproval and his lips was pursed into a thin line. She had never seen him so in distraught.

He had received a call from Cassie's teacher, informing that she had got into a fight with a classmate of hers during recess. Her teacher had called him because Maggie and Paxton were away for the week and he had moved into their house to take care of Cassie.

Scott's eyes darted to and fro from the rear-view mirror reflecting Cassie to the road in front of him. He was confused and furious at the same time. His daughter rarely got into trouble at school, and she wouldn't even hurt an ant. How could she have punched her classmate?

"Cassie, why don't you tell me what happened?", he glanced at the rear-view mirror again. She was looking outside the car window, pretending to be fixated with the view. She kept her mouth shut, refusing to answer the question. She was as stubborn as her father.

The tension was palpable and Hope wished she was never in the car in the first place.

Scott clenched his jaw and Hope could see that his patience was waning away with every passing minute. "Cassie.", he raised his voice a little.

Hope turned around and looked at Cassie, and she noticed that her lower lip was quivering, like she was about to cry. It brought her back to the time when she had punched her classmate in the face. Her father had yelled at her throughout the car trip, but he never got to know the reason why. It was an unpleasant memory and it was something she didn't want Cassie to go through.

Scott was about to open his mouth again when Hope placed her palm on his thigh. "Hey, why don't you talk to her about it when we get home?", she said gently, hoping to calm him down.

He let out a sigh and nodded.

…

Cassie had dashed up to her room the moment they reached home.

"Cassie!", he yelled.

"Scott, give her some time.", Hope rubbed his back. "You know I got into the same trouble as Cassie did when I was her age." She closed her eyes. It was still painful, recalling the memories.

"What happened?"

"I punched a classmate in the face because he said I didn't have a mother."

"Ouch.", Scott winced. "I'm sure it hurt as hell but he sure as hell deserved it."

"The thing is, Hank, he didn't bothered to find out why, he just yelled at me and that was it.", she sighed.

"I'm pretty sure if he found out, he would have kicked that boy's ass himself." Scott knew what Hope was trying to convey. He wasn't going to yell at Cassie, he has never done that before, he just wanted to know the reason why, not to mention, his ex-wife might kill him when she comes back from her vacation. He pulled her close, giving her a kiss on her temple. "Thanks Hope."

Hope smiled a little, knowing full well that Scott wasn't like her father.

He took her hand in his and walked up the stairs together. Cassie's bedroom door was left ajar and Scott was about to go in when Hope held him back.

"I'll stay here." She didn't want to intrude into their space.

Scott nodded. He opened the door slowly and slipped past through it quietly. He almost stepped on a hairbursh, and he noticed that the floor was cluttered with one of her dolls, their accessories, hair scrunchies and a pair of jeans. He found her splayed out on the bed, lying on her stomach, with a pillow over her head.

"Cassie.", he called her by her name to let her understand he's serious.

"Daddy, are you a bad person?", her voice came out muffled, nasally even, like she had been crying.

His heart broke instantly.

"Because William said you're a bad person and that's why you went to prison.", she said it quickly in one breath, hoping her father wouldn't hear her clearly.

But he does. "Peanut…", he opened his mouth and closed it again. "Is that why you punched him in the face?", he asked gently. He bent down next to her bed, trying to peek at her.

Cassie lifted her head up causing the pillow to tumble off and he could see her puffy eyes and stains of dried tears on her cheeks. "Because he's wrong. You're a good person daddy. You saved the world.", she frowned as she said it with pure conviction although her bottom lip quivered a little, like she was about to cry again.

"Come here.", Scott whispered and held his arms wide open at the same time. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and she crawled into his arms, and she wrapped herself around him, her head resting on his shoulder. He could hear her sobbing softly and it smashed his heart into a million pieces.

"I made a bad choice and I had to pay for my mistakes, but it doesn't mean I'm a bad person." It was difficult to explain the grey area between right or wrong. "Like how you made a bad choice by getting into a fight with your classmate, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person. But it's not right for you to do that."

She balled her hand into a fist and rubbed the tears off from the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry daddy.", she choked. That was it for him. He couldn't possibly stay angry at her, not when she was standing up for him.

"It's alright. That classmate of yours wasn't in the right either.", he rubbed her small back soothingly, comforting her. "But we'll have to meet your teacher about it and you'll have to tell her what happened."

Cassie nodded and he kissed the top of her head.

…

"How is she?" When Scott came out from the bedroom, Hope was still waiting by the door for him and had overheard the whole conversation.

"She fell asleep." He leaned against the wall and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to kill that kid if I see him.", he said through gritted teeth. "Maybe I'll use the suit and shrink and scare him. That will teach him a lesson for messing with my daughter."

Hope raised a brow. "Tell me you're joking."

"I'm joking. Relax. I would never do that. Tsk."

"Maybe teaching her martial arts wasn't such a good idea.", Hope gave him an apologetic smile as she felt partially guilty for what had happened.

"Nah, she would have punched him either way." He knew what she was thinking. "It's not your fault.", he held her hand and brushed her knuckles with his thumb.

"I know."

"So, you've been a Million Dollar Baby since you were a kid huh?", Scott joked.

Hope let out a laugh. "Never watched it before."

"What?", he gasped, looking at her dumbfoundedly. "It's an Academy Award winning movie Hope!"

"I had better things to do.", she rolled her eyes at his look of travesty at her.

"Like impressing Hank and becoming a superhero?", he grinned.

"Yes."

"We could watch it together."

"Maybe we shall, one day."

"Oh, we will. You definitely need a movie-cation..."


End file.
